From a former CIA officer comes the riveting account of a royal Middle Eastern family exiled to the American suburbs.
When her father is killed in a coup, 15-year-old Laila flees from the war-torn middle east to a life of exile and anonymity in the U.S. Gradually she adjusts to a new school, new friends, and a new culture, but while Laila sees opportunity in her new life, her mother is focused on the past. She’s conspiring with CIA operatives and rebel factions to regain the throne their family lost. Laila can’t bear to stand still as an international crisis takes shape around her, but how can one girl stop a conflict that spans generations?
J.C. Carleson delivers a fascinating account of a girl—and a country—on the brink, and a rare glimpse at the personal side of international politics.
"Every American should read this book. It's an eye-opener." —Suzanne Fisher Staples, Newbery Honor-winning author of Shabanu
*Bonus Backmatter includes a note about the author's CIA past, and a commentary by RAND researcher and president of ARCH International, Dr. Cheryl Benard. Recommendations for further reading are also included.
Star CIA officer Dara McIntyre has just endured a humiliating demotion. Punished for her affair with a Jordanian spy, she is stuck in a dreary desk job at CIA headquarters when orders come down for her to assess whether recently widowed officer Caitlin Wolff is still fit to serve in the field.
Dara soon discovers that Caitlin and her late husband were running a lurid shadow operation. Convinced that the couple's unsanctioned acts led to the husband's death, Dara sets out to find the killers and salvage her career. But when her investigation takes a jarring turn, she can no longer be sure whom - if anyone - she can trust.
