Wafa Faith Hallam was born and raised in Morocco, lived in Europe and traveled through more than 35
countries before she moved to the United States in 1980 to attend college. A graduate of the University of Florida, she attended New York University where she earned a master's degree in international relations and Middle Eastern studies. Wafa currently resides in Sag Harbor and is the author of the acclaimed memoir "The road from Morocco"
The book seeks to transport readers back in time to a society far removed from modern American sensibilities – to Morocco, where the author’s mother, Saadia, was born in 1939. Based on recorded history and family memories, the book chronicles Saadia’s arranged marriage and hardships as a young mother to Hallam. In time, Wafa journeys
to Europe and then to the United States, where she eventually reaches a top position on Wall Street – in theory, the fulfillment of Hallam’s American dream but in reality an overwhelming experience that threatens everything she holds dear. The book recounts Saadia’s illness, Hallam’s mental collapse and her subsequent spiritual awakening.
“Regardless of our ethnic or national origins, the uniqueness of my story boils down to the commonality of our humanity,” Wafa says. “Living life like it's a battlefield – to achieve fleeting moments of happiness acquired through the relentless pursuit of financial success, and at the detriment of one's purpose – can only lead to suffering.”
Intended as a cathartic journey toward self-discovery, the book results in the author’s awareness, and ultimately challenges Muslims and Americans to create more open and humane societies for women while aspiring to dispel prejudice on all sides. “The more I read into Wafa Faith Hallam's “The Road from Morocco,” the more I realized I was holding a book that – if all literary lights are not dimmed by convention – should become an instant classic,” says Professor Anouar Majid. “I honestly cannot recall a time when an autobiographical account has spoken to me as forcefully as Hallam's memoir.”
“The Road from Morocco” is available for sale online at
Amazon.com and other channels.