It is common to assume that the sand in Iraq is the same as beach sand, the gritty, dense sand of the Florida or Texas coastlines. It's not like that at all...the sand of Iraq is like talcum powder. And it covers everything with a filmy veil.
From the moment we meet Fatima Shihabi, an Iraqi journalist hunted by Saddam's henchmen for her socially-conscious reporting, we are swept along on an exhilarating journey of immense courage and hope. Desperate to leave Iraq, Fatima begins her ill-fated escape and is swiftly apprehended. Through amazing luck, her case ends up in the hands of New York lawyer Charles Sherman. Charles, consumed with guilt over his near-miss on 9/11, is looking for redemption. The Shihabi case allows him the chance he desperately needs to prove he's more than just an incredible attorney. Through complicated channels of old acquaintances, Charles is able to secure Fatima for a time in Saudi Arabia and then France. A slightly predictable (but admittedly hoped-for) romance blooms between the two as they are relentlessly pursued by the Iraqi secret police. A whirlwind trip back to Iraq to reunite Fatima with her daughter results in a final confrontation that simply begs to be made into a blockbuster film.
D.J. Murphy has written a very personal novel, crafted with tremendous care. The chase scenes through the streets of Paris read exquisitely authentic and the characters feel whole. The leitmotif of the veil appears throughout in all the obvious incarnations (the traditional Arab headcovering, of course, but also the "veils" or "masks" we all wear to disguise our true selves) and threatens, but never quite manages, to become cliched. I felt the restaurant conversation Charles and Fatima have about why the veil is worn was a particularly genuine moment. I highly recommend this book - and I actually hope someone will turn it into a screenplay.
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