Anne Marie Ruff

When Kathryn is living overseas, she meets and falls in love with Rashid, a Pakistani Muslim man. They marry and move to the U.S. When Rashid's father is killed in a drone attack, his family urges him to uphold the family's honor and seek revenge. A few months later, there is an explosion on the freeway and the FBI is knocking on Kathryn's door.

I thought this book offered a unique perspective. I've never seen another book written from the perspective of the wife of a terrorist. This book really makes you think about the reason behind terrorism - is it based on the cultural idea of revenge and obligation? I found both Kathryn and Rashid's points of view fascinating. Overall, well worth reading!… (altro)

From Amazon: “Kathryn, an American woman, and Rashid, a Pakistani-born Muslim man, seem to have bridged the divide between Western and Islamic world views with their marriage and two American-born children. But everything changes when Rashid’s father is suddenly killed by a US drone attack near the Afghan border, and their cross-cultural family descends into conflicting ideas of loyalty, justice, identity, revenge, and terrorism.”

My thoughts:
Reviewers call this ‘a thought-provoking love story’, ‘intimate’, ‘complex’, and ‘contemporary’. All speak about the conflict between cultures, and the concept of revenge.

But it really comes down to this: does filial/cultural obligation trump human decency and the obligation to respect human life?

I believe that revenge does not correct anything. And cold-blooded violence is not justifiable. I think that the author has unintentionally created a manifesto for terrorism, a justification for random acts of murder.

The writing is beautiful but I was left feeling emotionally manipulated and angry.

I received a free e-copy of this book through the Library Thing Early Reviewers program. This did not affect my review.… (altro)

A provocative novel of an American woman and Pakistani man, their marriage torn apart by his conviction that he must avenge his father’s death in a drone attack.

Anne Marie Ruff was born in Minnesota and attended UCLA where she studied geography and environmental issues. She has worked globally as a journalist, her work appearing in a wide variety of prominent publications. Currently she writes and works for a global law firm. Her husband is Indian-born.

Kathryn, an American, and Rashid, a Pakistani Muslim, met and fell in love when they were both working in Dubai. Both sets of parents are supportive of them. When his company assigns Rashid to work in Los Angles, the couple settles comfortably there and has two sons. Then Rahid’s father is killed in a U.S. drone strike near the border of Afghanistan. His family pressures him to act in revenge for his father's death. Ruff traces each of the family through the aftermath of Rashid's violence.

Ruff pushes readers to understand why people act in ways that we can seldom understand. With insight and honesty, she convinces us that decisions can have private as well as ideological meaning. In addition, she shows us the long-term consequences of actions on family members across generations. It is easy to say that other cultures place a higher value on family than Americans. Ruff shows us in gritty detail what that can mean.

I recommend this novel, especially to readers who care about how cultural conflict plays out.… (altro)