Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits tells the story of two men and two women who are brought together and separated under extraordinary circumstances. As the book opens, they're on the sea in a flimsy inflatable boat, which they hope will carry them across the Strait of Gibraltar from Morocco to Spain. What has driven them to leave their country and risk their lives? And will the rewards prove to be worth the danger? The answers unfold as we bear witness to the turning points in their lives, when they make the decisions that will forever seal their fates.<BR>There's Murad, a gentle, educated man who's been reduced to hustling tourists around Tangier; Halima, who's fleeing her drunken husband and the slums of Casablanca; Aziz, who must leave behind his devoted wife in hope of work in Spain; and Faten, a student and religious fanatic whose faith is at odds with an influential man determined to destroy her future.