The article discusses a novel that presents the story of Sara, who is unjustly incarcerated in a world governed by algorithms. Unlike traditional narratives focused on law enforcement, this novel dives deep into Sara's psychological struggles and human experience. It employs an omniscient narrative interspersed with modern communication forms, revealing the systemic issues leading to her detention. Sara is portrayed as a nuanced character, grappling with her identity and emotions, particularly her suppressed anger as a woman of color, reflecting broader issues of those in private immigration detention without recourse.
Lalami, instead, sends us down the psychological rabbit hole of what it means to be incarcerated without due process - in a world where your fate is decided by algorithms.
Sara is a scholar of postcolonial African history who works at the Getty Museum. She is also a woman who dwells on her insecurities and on petty annoyances.
It's a condition that isn't specific to her incarceration. As a woman of color - Sara is of Moroccan descent - she is not the kind of person who is generally afforded the benefit of expressing anger.
To inhabit Sara's story is to hear the echoes of real people who are held in private immigration detention centers - who have no legal recourse and no timeline for when they might get released.
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