Conditional Citizens : On Belonging in America

A searing look at the struggle for all Americansto achieve liberty and equality. The Washington Post

A tightly packed examination of the whimsical nature of American citizenship. . . . Lalami's writing refects a citizen who's descried the matted underbelly of her adopted home, a citizen cautioning us that what we believe of ourselves, our laws, our country has and will shift to suit the ever-changing demands of power. San Francisco Chronicle

Sharp, bracingly clear. . . . Conditional Citizens doesn't just ask you to consider that the personal is political; it makes you marvel that anyone could still presume otherwise." Entertainment Weekly

Political writing at its most effective, grounded in the author's experience but turned outward, to the inequities (and worse) many Americans face as a matter of course. Los Angeles Times

An urgent, compelling, and persuasive book, written by one of our most important critics of the American character. Lalami has given us a clear-eyed, evenhanded assessment of this country's potential and its limits through her insightful notion of conditional citizenship. Her book is a gift to all Americans if they are willing to receive it. Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of The Sympathizer and Nothing Ever Dies