The story of Mohamed Choukri’s life is continued in the sequel to For Bread Alone. In his early twenties, Choukri takes the momentous decision to learn to read and write. When not at school he hangs out in cafés, drinking and smoking kif. Some nights he sleeps in a dosshouse, but mostly he sleeps in mosques or on the street, while local prostitutes take him home, providing some human solace.