Pasadena’s citywide reading project reaches its marquee moment this week. On Tuesday, June 30, novelist Laila Lalami — a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist — discusses and signs the new paperback edition of her novel “The Dream Hotel” at Vroman’s Bookstore, beginning at 7 p.m. The appearance is part of One City, One Story, the program that invites the whole community to read and discuss a single book.
“The Dream Hotel” imagines a near-future America in which vast troves of personal data are used to predict who might commit a crime — and to detain people before they ever act. Its central character, stopped while traveling and swept into a facility for the supposedly dangerous, becomes the lens for a story about surveillance, consent and the quiet ways freedom can erode. The novel extends Lalami’s reputation for fiction that examines power and belonging in America.
Born and raised in Morocco, Lalami is the author of several acclaimed novels, including “The Moor’s Account,” a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and “The Other Americans,” a finalist for the National Book Award. Her work has been translated into many languages and has established her as one of the most respected literary voices writing about immigration, identity and the American experience.
For Pasadena and Altadena readers, the event offers a chance to hear a major author reflect on a timely book — and to take part in a community-wide conversation about it.
Laila Lalami will discuss and sign the paperback of “The Dream Hotel” on Tuesday, June 30 at 7 p.m. Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. For more information, call (626) 449-5320 or visit vromansbookstore.com. Admission is free.
