THE MISUNDERSTOOD ALLY

A political novel that explores a complicated war with great care and sensitivity.

This debut novel explores the terror and xenophobia of the 9/11 attacks from an unusual angle. In the wake of that disaster, a complicated relationship emerges between Pakistan and the United States: Americans suddenly become wary of Pakistanis, more and more terrorist attacks occur in Pakistan, and the terrorist threat to America’s safety grows. Amid this drama, confusion and fear, three brave people are determined to help resolve the ongoing issues. CIA Special Agent Samantha Albright, whose mother would like to see her settle down and have children, has been placed in Islamabad, where she sees a whole other side to the foreign conflict and also falls in love. Meanwhile, Pakistani Lt. Col. Dhilawar Jahangiri, a devoted husband and father battling the terrorist forces in Afghanistan, unexpectedly becomes a victim when he and his wife are wounded. At the same time, Baaz Jan, a military leader in Pakistan, struggles with the idea that terrorists have wrongfully occupied his land  and feels that they must be stopped. As these three fighters grapple with the wars surrounding them, they’re each forced to confront terrorism from new perspectives and draw new, enlightened conclusions about the complex dispute. This fast-paced, intriguing novel takes the often-misunderstood topic of terrorism and humanizes it. Each character effectively represents a particular viewpoint, and the unfolding story illustrates how difficult it is to simply navigate the war on terror, let alone determine who’s right and who’s wrong. This well-crafted composite of opinions and biases will help readers achieve a deeper, more empathetic understanding of Middle Eastern conflict.

An engaging novel that offers equal amounts of current events, politics, romance and suspense.