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Saudi-born author Keija Parssinen's stunning debut offers the intricate, emotionally resonant story of an American expatriate who discovers that her husband, a Saudi billionaire, has taken a second bride - an emotionally turbulent revelation that blinds them both to their teenaged son's ominous first steps down the road of radicalization. Readers of The Septembers of Shiraz will be captivated by Parssinen's story of love and betrayal, fundamentalism, family and country in the Middle East. Anthony Swofford, author of Jarhead, hails Parssinen's characters as "richly conceived, and her evocative petrol universe of wealth, privilege, and intrigue is unforgettable," characterizing The Ruins of Us as having "powerful storytelling that is refreshing and entertaining."
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"A fine debut that uses its knowledge of both Saudi Arabia and psychology to transcend some overly schematic character arrangements." - Kirkus Reviews
"Parssinen's gripping, well-crafted debut tracks the awakening of a Saudi Arabian family to the dangers that lurk within." - Publishers Weekly
"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 an arresting story of family and country. Parssinen's 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
This information about The Ruins of Us was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
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 Writers' 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. You can visit her website at www.keijaparssinen.com.
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