This is one of the best historical novels I have ever read. It makes history so relevant for our times and for this war we find ourselves in. I never knew how Iraq came to be and I never understood fully why the middle east affects so much of our economy. But with this great little novel I learned these things without realizing it, which is the mark of a good historical novel. I groped the pages following Agnes Shanklin on her journey through life and love and her adventure to Egypt (oh how I love a good adventure.) Without realizing it, my eyes had opened to so much more policy than I understood before. I feel gratified by the story, I feel wiser for the insight, and I feel a bit dusty and sunburned from the desert adventure. A great book! Wish I could meet the author and get it signed! Or even greater, I wish I could take the adventure to Egypt myself!
Marvellous!
jlw
