This first novel provides an insigtful and frightening look at
a clash of cultures between Americans and Turkish/Kurdish Muslims. After the 1999 Istanbul earthquake, a traditional Kurdish Muslim family are surviving the devastation with the organized help of volunteer American Christian missionaries. After tragedy has struck on both sides, the 17 year-old Muslim daugher and teen-age son of one of the missionaries find solace in each other. Their relationship "stirs the pot" of prejudice among the Kurish refugees and is the catalyst for the plot of the book.
This book provided our book club with many discussions about different cultures, traditional religion, the effects of our American culture on traditional socities, the role of America in Iraq and Afghanistan and much more. The author tells a sad and timely tale in this informative novel.