The ruins of us : a novel

Review “ParssinenвЂTMs gripping, well-crafted debut tracks the awakening of a Saudi Arabian family to the dangers that lurk within. . . . Parssinen deftly illuminates Saudi Arabian life through a family locked in a battle over morality and cultural chasms.” ( Publishers Weekly ) “A compelling debut.” ( Marie Claire (UK) ) “THE RUINS OF US is an arresting story of family and country. ParssinenвЂTMs characters are richly conceived and her evocative petrol universe of wealth, privilege, and intrigue is unforgettable. Powerful storytelling that is refreshing and entertaining.” (Anthony Swofford, author of Jarhead ) “Parssinen convincingly inhabits the shifting moods of her characters. . . . Throughout, her prose is artful without being showy, forced, or melodramatic, and her knowledge of Saudi culture informs the story. . . . A fine debut.” ( Kirkus Reviews ) “Parssinen carries the reader . . . in the grip of a story that is both entertaining and wise. . . . The debut of an enormously talented writer who is unafraid to lead us on the greatest adventure of all--into the wilds of the human heart.” (Lise Saffran, author of Juno's Daughters ) “ The Ruins of Us is a stunning debut novel--a love story that spans continents. Parssinen teaches us that while cultural differences run deep, when it comes to matters of the heart, we are all the same. I was dazzled by this book.” (Amanda Eyre Ward, author of Close Your Eyes ) “A big, brave novel, Keija ParssinenвЂTMs THE RUINS OF US takes us behind the compound walls of Saudi Arabia and into the secret passions that threaten to tear one family apart. Step into ParssinenвЂTMs sensual prose and be transported.” (Anna Solomon, author of The Little Bride ) “THE RUINS OF US tells a gripping story about Saudi Arabian princes and bureaucrats, wives and extra-wives, sons and daughters, fanatics and exiles. . . . [Keija Parssinen] directs the human and historical traffic with a maestroвЂTMs sense of pace, and a true storytellerвЂTMs sense of consequence.” (Scott Spencer, author of Man in the Woods ) “Keija Parssinen vividly evokes daily reality in the Kingdom. . . . While she portrays the physical and social landscapes with the precision of an impassioned expat, Parssinen also limns-with a wisdom that belies her age-the culture-transcending contours of the human heart.” ( National Geographic Traveler ) About the Author Keija Parssinen was born in Saudi Arabia and lived there for twelve years as a third-generation expatriate. She earned a degree in English literature from Princeton University and received her MFA from the Iowa WritersвЂTM Workshop, where she held a Truman Capote Fellowship and a Teaching-Writing Fellowship. For The Ruins of Us , her first novel, she received a Michener-Copernicus Award. She lives with her husband on the edge of a quarry in Missouri. More than two decades after moving to Saudi Arabia from America and marrying Abdullah Baylani, Rosalie learns that her husband has married a second wife. The discovery plunges the powerful family into chaos as Rosalie grapples with leaving Saudi Arabia, her life and her family behind. Twenty-five years into her marriage to wealthy Abdullah al-Baylani, the American Rosalie is shattered to find that her husband has taken another wife, and worries about the effect this will have on their teenage children, Faisal and Mariam--worries that will soon prove prescient. A Saudi-born Author's Stunning Debut Novel Tells The Story Of A Saudi Billionaire And The Turmoil And Heartbreak That Rock His Family After His American Wife Discovers He Has Taken A Second Bride, And His Son Begins An Ominous Journey Towards Radicalism.