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"Hobbet gracefully renders her diverse characters and all their competing prejudices, discontents and difficulties while conveying the collective fear of “Saddam still in power and brooding over the ‘lost province’ of Kuwait." --The New York Times
"Hobbet's compelling novel is set in Kuwait between the Gulf Wars, with the country poised for the next wave of unexpected terror while coming to grips with the last: 'He'd expected to see some scars of the war. But there was nothing that spoke of the violence, not even a tank posed as a public memorial.' Hobbet's disparate protagonists come from different classes, countries and faiths: devoutly Muslim, wealthy Mufeeda; her young Indian cook, Emmanuella; California doctor Theo; Theo's Arabic teacher, Hanaan (a Palestinian); and timid American housewife Kit (also Mufeeda's neighbor). Each character is, to varying degrees, a misfit in a society beset by violence and ancient practices. When news of murdered maids begins circulating, several characters undertake a precarious plan to save a maid in danger, a dangerous mission with the potential to change all their lives permanently. Hobbet's extensive knowledge of Kuwait's people, customs and political landscape combine to make an immersive, authentic novel about Middle East life." — Publishers Weekly
“A gripping book, written with clarity, grace and insight. I’m in awe of the way Anastasia Hobbet moves so smoothly, comfortably and convincingly between so many worlds—whether you’re with the servants or at the hospital, whether you’re with the Kuwaitis or the Americans or any other nationality, one seem perfectly at home, and all these interconnected worlds are rendered with great respect and become real to us because of her precise observation. Hobbet handles the politics very deftly, and has the knack of creating good people who are also interesting people, which is far from easy to do” —Hilary Mantel, winner, 2009 Man Booker Prize for Wolf Hall
“A story of tangled East-West relations in Kuwait six years after the first Gulf War. Hobbet (Pleasure of Believing, 1997) employs a deft touch as she moves into delicate areas of cultural misunderstanding and romantic complication.” —Kirkus
Price: $29.00
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