The Last Patriarch

August 1, 2011
El Hachmi's debut novel follows a forward-thinking man from the countryside of Morocco to Catalonia, Spain, where his uncle meets him and promises: "You'll miss a lot of things, Mimoun, but you'll soon find others to make up for them." On this first trip abroad Mimoun Driouch leaves behind the girl whose family has accepted his marriage proposal. He returns to marry her, but becomes violent and obsessed with the need to control his young wife while he indulges in women, drink, and hashish. He comes and goes, having children and expecting his family to stay in Morocco while he enjoys the pleasures of Spain, until his daughter, the child he yearned for, unlike other families who hope for sons, makes him change his ways. This girl narratesâ"I was born on cue, although some say I came too early, timing that destroyed the family and provoked one of those upsets that pursues you throughout life"âand Mimoun mistakenly believes she will be obedient and easier to handle than his sons. Instead, she's the one who shames her father into sending for his wife and children to join him in Spain where he has been living with his mistress. Mimoun begins to realize his daughter is more than an extension of himself as she pores over the Catalan dictionary, arming herself with words which become her salvation. El Hachmi depicts the paternalistic society in myriad ways, from the women who lack names and are referred to only by their relationships to Mimoun's attempts to dictate the life of his daughter; ultimately, Mimoun as "the patriarch" is irrelevant for the next generation