This book was hard to read, but not because of the writing (which was excellent) but because it is about a time period and place that did not reflect particularly well on humanity. The author wrote this story based on her own experiences while in Iraq as a foreigner during Saddam Hussein. This is the story of Ally, an Australian diplomat’s wife, who is in Iraq with a lot of secrets and unaware how dangerous there are. She is befriended by an embassy secretary, Huda, who is forced to be an informant on Ally for the secret police. And Huda’s oldest friend Raina, even though that friendship is quite fractured from the years. Raina is a widow trying to make a living and trying to avoid attention from Saddam Hussein and his son Uday, who is very interested in Raina and her daughter. This book was full of dangerous and difficult moral choices. Would you betray someone if it meant your child was not conscripted into an army where soldiers are made through torture? What would you risk to save those you love? I am very grateful to BookishFirst, the publisher, and author for my copy of this book. I know this is a story that will be staying with me.