Review: A Must Story for our Times
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 15, 2014
An American young man and  a  Syrian girl meet through an arranged marriage:  Adam, to honor a promise he made to Fadi,  the girl's brother who had saved his life earlier in battle.  If Yasmeen married an American,  Fadi knew his sister would escape the killing and atrocities the Syrian government was forcing on innocent Syrian civilians.  Adam, summoned by Fadi to Turkey, agreed to the paper-marriage and with the union between two strangers fulfilled, the couple returned to Adam's home in Wisconsin. Totally unprepared for her new country, Yasmeen brought with her heart-rendering memories and traditions that kept the marriage unconsummated, the two cultures leaving them frequently at odds with misunderstandings and conflict.  Equally troublesome was Adam's violent nightmares stemming from the horrors of past battles, and his hatred for his father who had been abusive throughout his childhood. Deliberately protected from access to  the media of what was going on in her homeland, Yasmeen held to the idea she would soon return to Syria, and when she discovered the ongoing violence, she was left with no hope of returning home.  What follows is a story of danger, intrigue, emotional upheaval, hidden love, and unexpected events crafted by a gifted author into a compelling and poignant tale that will keep the reader thoroughly engrossed until the very end.  An unforgettable story unique to our times that no one should miss.