'Secret Son'

In this novel, her shifting point-of-view technique is less effective. With "Secret Son," the main story focuses on Youssef and his father, and the lion's share of the narration comes from Youssef's perspective. But the author also includes occasional side stories, including tales from Nabil (the wealthy father), Rachida (Youssef's mother) and Amal (Youssef's half sister and the sole legitimate heir, who's studying at UCLA). Two of the book's most crucial scenes are told twice. For example, when Youssef confronts his father about his paternity, we encounter Youssef's point of view and Nabil's. This shifting perspective pulls readers away from the tension and intrigue surrounding Youssef.

Puzzling choices

At key moments, Youssef makes choices that seem to come out of the blue. When faced with a burgeoning protest and whether to join in, the author tells us, "His allegiance came to him in a flash." Though real-life decisions may come in flashes, there's usually some logic underpinning them. Without fully understanding how or why Youssef experiences dramatic changes of heart, readers are left wondering just how well we know him. This motivational vagueness becomes especially awkward toward the end of the book when Youssef makes a choice that will forever mark his life, and readers may feel as if there's no solid reason behind it. Likewise, the novel's trajectory poses a stumbling block. What starts out as a story of a son's longing for his father shifts by the end into another arc without ever fully resolving the father issue.

All of which speak to the differences between linked stories and novels. Lalami's book of stories was written with such heart and verve, and felt credible throughout. The constraints of a novel like this, in which one central story is dominant, and the expectations readers bring to it are different. That said, Lalami's depiction of Moroccan life in "Secret Son," illuminating the social, political, religious and poverty issues facing its citizens -- especially its still-hopeful young -- is both sensitive and startling.

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Murphy has written three books of narrative nonfiction and is completing a novel, "Grace Notes."