The Fortress of Tears

In his sixth novel to be published into English, Abdellah Taïa explores the dissonance of one man’s homecoming marred by the memory of his tragic past and grief-filled present.

Upon his mother's death, Youssef—a Moroccan teacher who has lived in exile in France for a quarter of a century—returns to his hometown, Salé, at his sisters' request to settle the family estate.

In Salé, voices from Youssef’s past reemerge, including that of Najib, his childhood friend and lover whose tragic fate saw him consumed by drug trafficking and corrupted as a colonel in King Hassan II’s army. As Youssef wanders the Salé streets and alleyways, a world he left behind begins to take shape again, filled with poverty, hypocrisy, and violence against people who are marginalized. While the old city ramparts cast a long shadow over his story, Youssef confronts his childhood, recalls his young loves, and, in many ways, reconnects with his late mother.