First published 2025
Nadia's mother has disowned her and her lover Rosy has left her. The academic flees to Iraq for a UN position working with former ISIS members. Her job involves rehabilitating women who joined the terrorist organization. The international aid world proves chaotic and filled with incompetent coworkers. Among her cases is Sara, a foul-mouthed teenager from East London who joined ISIS at fifteen. Despite their different paths, Nadia discovers striking similarities between them. Both are Muslim, opinionated, and share unexpected bonds over chocolate and crude humor. Their friendship deepens as Nadia sees herself reflected in the younger woman's fierce personality. Sara eventually reveals a secret that could destroy everything Nadia has built in her new role. The confession forces Nadia to confront the complexities of redemption, identity, and the choices people make when searching for where they belong.
Genres: drama, literary-fiction, contemporary, adult-fiction, social-issues
Vibes: character-driven, emotionally-complex, intimate, introspective, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, secrets-revealed, self-discovery, unlikely-friendship
Setting: Iraq, East London
Period: 21st-century, contemporary
321 pages · Paperback · Weidenfeld & Nicolson