First published 2015
Mohammed Gulab discovers Marcus Luttrell broken and bleeding on a mountainside in the Hindu Kush. The American Navy SEAL barely clings to consciousness after a firefight that killed his entire team. Taliban forces hunt through the valleys below, determined to finish what they started. Gulab faces an impossible choice. The Pashtun warrior could surrender the wounded soldier and protect his village from retaliation. Instead, he follows Pashtunwali, the ancient tribal honor code that demands he shelter those who seek refuge. The Taliban know Gulab's reputation as a Mujahedeen commander who fought the Soviets as a teenager. They hesitate to storm his village directly, buying precious time. Gulab works desperately to arrange Luttrell's rescue while shielding his family and neighbors from the consequences. His decision to save one American soldier transforms everything he knows about his world and his place in it.
Genres: historical-fiction, military-fiction, adventure, action
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Afghanistan, Hindu Kush, Sabray, Taliban
Period: 21st-century
261 pages · Hardcover · Atria Books
Content warnings: graphic-violence, war