"Published in Iraq in 1970 and subsequently banned, Saeed's novel appears for the first time in English. In 1964, Iraqi political refugee Sharqi arrives in al-Mohammediya, Morocco, to teach high school and finds a country in turmoil, following the exile of leftist opposition leader Mehdi Ben Barka (for whom his street is named), and an oppressive government in the hands of King Hassan II...The rhythm and pace of the prose...gathers momentum as the characters come to life and the stakes of their ordinary decisions play out in a hyper-politicized society."