Book picks similar to
The Burning Veil - A Novel of Arabia by Jean Grant
fiction
saudi-arabia
middle-east
adult
Stranger Than Kindness
Mark A. Radcliffe - 2013
It is 1989 and Community Care is about to reboot the industry of psychiatry. In a soon-to-be-closed asylum a bruised nurse, Adam Sands, is feeling less like a purveyor of kindness and more like a concentration camp guard with every passing drink. Many years later Adam has got used to the quiet life when his past finds him. Maybe this time he can do some good. Even make a diference. But redemption, like magic, can come from the strangest of places.
Don't Know What You've Got Till It's Gone
Gemma Crisp - 2014
In the cut-throat world of weekly trash mags, Nina thrives on the adrenalin of out-bidding her rivals for scandalous photo sets, scoring exclusive rights to Australia's A-list weddings and having the most influential celebrity managers on speed-dial. But in her personal life, things aren't quite as glossy. Just as she's back on the single scene, all her friends start getting up the duff faster than you can say, 'Welcome to Nappy Valley'. While Nina spends her days managing her magazine's multi-million-dollar budget and stalking Kim Kardashian's every move, they're managing their minuscule maternity leave allowance and stalking their local daycare waiting list. Suddenly she feels like she's being rejected from a club she doesn't even want to join. With a reality TV show in the works and a Facebook feed overflowing with endless baby updates, Nina heads to New York on an impromptu girls' trip to get away from it all - but little does she know that things are about to get a whole lot more complicated...
Three Daughters of Eve
Elif Shafak - 2016
As she wrestles to get it back, a photograph falls to the ground--an old Polaroid of three young women and their university professor. A relic from a past--and a love--Peri had tried desperately to forget.Three Daughters of Eve is set over an evening in contemporary Istanbul, as Peri arrives at the party and navigates the tensions that simmer in this crossroads country between East and West, religious and secular, rich and poor. Over the course of the dinner, and amidst an opulence that is surely ill begotten, terrorist attacks occur across the city. Competing in Peri's mind, however, are the memories invoked by her almost-lost Polaroid, of the time years earlier when she was sent abroad for the first time, to attend Oxford University. As a young woman there, she had become friends with the charming, adventurous Shirin, a fully assimilated Iranian girl, and Mona, a devout Egyptian American. Their arguments about Islam and feminism find focus in the charismatic but controversial Professor Azur, who teaches divinity, but in unorthodox ways. As the terrorist attacks come ever closer, Peri is moved to recall the scandal that tore them all apart.
Sarah Love
Geraldine O'Neill - 2010
Heartbroken and humiliated, she leaps at a chance to make a fresh start away from her native Tullamore. Within a week she has crossed the Irish Sea, and is lodging with other young women in a house off Newcastle city centre, just a short walk from Harrison’s – the rundown knitting and sewing shop where she will work for reserved and troubled spinster, Lucy Harrison. Sarah now finds herself amongst people of different classes, religion and race, and when her Irish nationality is attacked she must discover the skills to survive. Putting the past behind her, she channels her energies into rebuilding the old-fashioned, neglected Harrison’s into a thriving business and her wonderful sewing and design skills soon lead her down a new and exciting path in life. A path without love though, as she is too raw to consider romance again. Or so she thinks …
From a Low and Quiet Sea
Donal Ryan - 2018
The dreamer. The penitent. From war-torn Syria to small-town Ireland, three men, scarred by all they have loved and lost, are searching for some version of home. Each is drawn towards a powerful reckoning, one that will bring them together in the most unexpected of ways.
The Good Sister
Chelsea Bolan - 2016
All traces of her have been removed, and not even Lucy, Gabi’s older sister and best friend, knows where she is. Furious at her father and desperate to find her sister, Lucy leaves their small town in Baja California, Mexico, and sets out for the capital to track Gabriela down.While Lucy ventures deep into Mexico City’s most dangerous neighbourhoods, back at home her family members—her brothers, her mother and father, and her brother-in-law, Antonio—struggle with their own roles in Gabi’s banishment. The Good Sister presents a vibrant, captivating portrayal of contemporary Mexico, and of a family torn apart by a father’s hypocrisy. Engaging and emotionally rich, this novel is a fascinating exploration of betrayal and steadfast devotion, and the ways in which our own intolerance can harm what—and whom—we love most.
After Eli
Terry Kay - 1981
Each woman feels connected to Michael, whose charm and wit draws them inexorably into his play of madness--a drama of psychological horror that threatens the weak and unsuspecting.Terry Kay's riveting suspense novel is filled with twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the very end.
The Hakawati
Rabih Alameddine - 2008
The city is a shell of the Beirut Osama remembers, but he and his friends and family take solace in the things that have always sustained them: gossip, laughter, and, above all, stories. Osama’s grandfather was a hakawati, or storyteller, and his bewitching stories—of his arrival in Lebanon, an orphan of the Turkish wars, and of how he earned the name al-Kharrat, the fibster—are interwoven with classic tales of the Middle East, stunningly reimagined. Here are Abraham and Isaac; Ishmael, father of the Arab tribes; the ancient, fabled Fatima; and Baybars, the slave prince who vanquished the Crusaders. Here, too, are contemporary Lebanese whose stories tell a larger, heartbreaking tale of seemingly endless war—and of survival. Like a true hakawati, Rabih Alameddine has given us an Arabian Nights for this century—a funny, captivating novel that enchants and dazzles from its very first lines: “Listen. Let me take you on a journey beyond imagining. Let me tell you a story.”
Unexpected Gift
Delores Fossen - 2018
And brings with him a Christmas message to deliver to his best friend's sister, Kelly Coburn. But seeing Kelly again brings back all the old feelings – and reminds him of the one-night stand they shared just before he left. Still, a camera crew is there to capture every moment of his momentous homecoming, so now isn't the time to relive the past. That is, until he learns Kelly's had her own delivery in his absence: beautiful baby Noel, Gabe's daughter!Originally published in 2014.
White Pumpkin Seed
Annie Wang - 2014
The story follows her journey from 1978 to '89. She experiences a childhood surrounded by love, death, poverty, and beautiful nature. Vanessa discovers music to express her joy and grief. She puts her soul into the music notes melting her listeners’ hearts. Music brings her into the larger world and on a journey to a surprise discovery. Discover the Taiwanese culture in this heart touching and uplifting story.
Return to Mormonville: Worlds Apart
Jeff Call - 2004
Once a cynical New York reporter trying to get the "scoop" on the Mormons, Luke is now one himself, and determined to live a Christ-like life. On a new assignment in Sudan, Africa as part of a humanitarian project, Luke realizes this isn't "Mormonville" anymore, in fact, Sudan is one of the most dangerous places in the world. But with a goal to further his career and be of good service, he plows ahead. Seeking an injured man outside the safety of a refugee camp, Luke and fellow workers are ambushed and kidnapped by terrorists. Now he will learn what it means to be a true Christian as he tries to build relationships with his captors, modeling compassion and kindness in hopes of a release. But days turn into weeks and months, and Luke wonders if he'll ever hold Hayley in his arms again. A timely look at a troubling situation, Jeff Call takes us on a journey of profound importance, especially for all of us who want to learn what it means to stand for the right and yet, "turn the other cheek."
Don't Tell Meg Trilogy Box Set
Paul J. Teague - 2017
One night. So many deaths. When radio journalist Pete Bailey betrays his wife Meg on his fortieth birthday, he has no idea of the terrible consequences that will follow his infidelity. His passionate relationship with Meg is on the rocks and they’re having no luck starting a family. It’s only when he meets TV reporter Ellie Turner on a working weekend away from home that Pete succumbs to her charms in a moment of weakness. His treacherous actions set off a chain of events fueled by jealousy, revenge, violence and hatred. Five people will lose their lives as a result of Pete’s deception and he will be compelled to confront the ugly truth about his wife and his best friend, Jem. He thought that nobody would ever discover what he’d done with Ellie … but he didn’t know who was listening in the room next door. Don’t Tell Meg is the first part of trilogy of thrillers. Please note that this book contains mild violence, bad language and sexual references. The Murder Place: A missing wife. A former lover. A house that isn't yet done with death. Estranged from his wife and living on a caravan park, Pete Bailey thinks the worst is over. Well away from the marital home where the murders took place, Pete is still hoping to hear from Meg and get a sale on a property that nobody wants to buy. But the newspaper and TV reports haven't gone unnoticed and there are some new arrivals in the town. Teaming up with his TV friend and former lover, Alex Kennedy, Pete goes in search of the truth about Meg and hurtles headlong into a tangled mess along the way. The house where two men lost their lives is not yet done with the killing - and more people who are close to Pete must lose their lives before the secrets of Meg's past are revealed. Pete will be brought to the edge of despair and risks losing everything in this non-stop, psychological thriller. The Murder Place is the second part in the Don't Tell Meg trilogy. Please note that this book contains mild violence, bad language and sexual references. The Forgotten Children: A childhood poisoned by betrayal. A revenge that can wait no more. Things have gone from bad to worse for radio journalist, Pete Bailey. Not only is he still estranged from his wife Meg, he has found himself living in rundown flat in Blackpool, rapidly running out of money and scraping by to make ends meet. But the seaside resort holds the secrets of Meg's childhood years, which were poisoned by cruelty, betrayal and violence. As Pete gets closer to the truth, the past comes back to haunt him as a killer seeks to right wrongs and destroy old enemies. More lives will be lost and those closest to Pete will risk most of all. But finally, after all the death and misery, the terrible truth will be revealed. The Forgotten Children is the final part in the Don't Tell Meg trilogy. Please note that this book contains mild violence, bad language and sexual references. Paul J. Teague has also written the standalone thriller Dead of Night (Released May 2017)
Bride of the Sea
Eman Quotah - 2021
Soon, their marriage will end, and Muneer will return to Saudi Arabia, while Saeedah remains in Cleveland with their daughter, Hanadi. Consumed by a growing fear of losing her daughter, Saeedah disappears with the little girl, leaving Muneer to desperately search for his daughter for years. The repercussions of the abduction ripple outward, not only changing the lives of Hanadi and her parents, but also their interwoven family and friends—those who must choose sides and hide their own deeply guarded secrets.And when Hanadi comes of age, she finds herself at the center of this conflict, torn between the world she grew up in and a family across the ocean. How can she exist between parents, between countries?Eman Quotah’s Bride of the Sea is a spellbinding debut of colliding cultures, immigration, religion, and family; an intimate portrait of loss and healing; and, ultimately, a testament to the ways we find ourselves inside love, distance, and heartbreak.
Domestic Terrorism: A story from the collection Property
Lionel Shriver - 2018
Lionel Shriver is…‘A brilliant writer’ Sunday Times‘Brilliant, funny and incisive’ Woman and Home‘Breezy, mordantly comic’ Daily Mail‘Eloquent’ ObserverIn ‘Domestic Terrorism’ Shriver examines the decline of the empty nest, in a hilarious and barbed story about an all-too-recognisable modern family.
The Tainted Crown (Horstberg Saga #4)
Elizabeth D. Michaels - 2015
He also grew up observing the powerful and tender love shared by his parents. Determined to find that same kind of love in his own life, he is holding out for a woman who can see more in him than a marriage that will give his future wife prestige and great wealth. After more than a decade of searching for the right woman, Erich may have finally found a love beyond anything he’d imagined. But his happiness and the stability of the country is at risk when a long-dormant evil comes to the surface in Horstberg, threatening his life and that of his young nephew, who is Erich’s heir. While Erich tries to remain confident that he will live long enough to claim his right to serve his country, he is haunted by premonitory dreams that imply his life will come to a tragic end. As a force of extremist revolutionaries force Horstberg to the brink of war, the entire du Woernig family must flee into hiding for the sake of their own survival. Only when everything is on the line does Erich come to fully understand what truly matters. Please note that Book Five, the final book in the Horstberg Saga will be available for preorder on April 6th and will be released May 4th.