MOSAIC

Khashoggi (Mirage, 1996) spins another page-turning tale with a topical theme: an Arab father kidnaps his American children because he disapproves of the American way of life.

Life seems pretty good for Dina Ahmad, who lives in a splendid New York brownstone with husband Karim, their son Jordy, eight-year-old twins Ali and Suzanne, and their housekeeper, Jordanian Fatma. Dina also owns a high-profile flower-design business, called Mosaic, and she and Karim, a Jordanian native, have been married for nearly 20 mostly happy years. Recently, though, there’ve been some rocky moments: since 9/11, Karim has worried about American attitudes toward Arabs. Even more troubling is his attitude toward the teenaged Jordy. They’ve learned that Jordy is gay, and Karim, who can’t deal with the revelation, holds both Dina and America responsible. Jordy has been sent away to boarding school, and Karim refuses to have any contact with him. One spring day, Dina comes home to find the house empty, and soon she learns that Karim has taken the twins to his family in Jordan. Appalled, Dina calls her two best friends for help: African-American cable show star Emmeline and Jewish doctor Sarah Gelman. Both women, though currently single, have children of their own, empathize with Dina’s plight, and soon are helping her find a way to get them back. But it won’t be easy. The State Department can’t help, and Dina has next to rely on specially trained but pricey independent operatives. Heading to Jordan herself, she learns that the situation is even more complex than she realized: Karim’s family not only have powerful connections but their house is guarded and Karim is adamant about keeping the twins. When Dina and her ops plan a kidnapping of their own, the scheme goes badly awry.

A delicate subject sensitively explored.