The Last Friend

Renowned for his compeling , humane portraits of everyday Arab lives, Tahar Ben Jelloun has affirmed his place in the literary world by winning such awards as the Prix Goncourt and Prix Maghreb. In The Last Friend, Ben Jelloun presents a spellbinding coming-of-age story and a dazzling portrait of Morocco in an era of repression and disillusionment. In Tangiers in the late 1950s, two teenagers, Mamed and Ali, strike up an intense friendship that will last a lifetime. But lurking just beneath the surface is a deep, unspoken jealousy in danger of destroying them both.What Ben Jelloun does brilliantly is write with a kind of refreshing candor that demystifies the Arab world. (Paris Voice)

A profound and moving novel. (Le Monde)

Daring and introspective, The Last Friend should bring [Ben Jelloun] the wide readership that has eluded him in this country. (The Nation)

Absorbing, like a meditation, a trance. (The Daily Telegraph, London)

…a seductive, lyrical novel exploring the seeming betrayal of a lifelong friendship (French Book News)Tahar Ben Jelloun was born in Fez, Morocco, and immigrated to France in 1961. A novelist, essayist, critic, and poet, he is a regular contributor to Le Monde, La Républica, El País, and Panorama.