She had to do something for her future—today. — Laila Lalami

"They’re supposed to be the people who support you, who love you no matter what, and the reality is they’re the first people who teach you to cast doubt on yourself, they’re the first people who sometimes don’t have your back…"

"She did not notice the fading afternoon light that lengthened the shadows behind her, framing her body like the arches of a shrine."

"A bit salty dear," she said. Faten smiled, grateful for the truth."

"He couldnt understand these foreigners. They could go to a nice hotel, have a clean bed, go to the beach or the pool, and here they were in the worst part of town, looking around for something exotic."

"He needed someone to trustworthy to deal with Faten, and he knew Raouf would not let him down."

"But, he tried to tell himself, maybe this was just a fleeting interest, maybe it would all go away."