![]() Rosalie’s desperate search for an escape from the half-life she is revealed to be living takes up much of the beginning of the novel. That is, until she discovers that two years ago, her husband, Abdullah, took a second wife and wants them all to be a happy, traditional family together. Rosalie, a 40-something wife and mother of two, begins “The Ruins of Us” by telling the reader that she has it all: a devoted husband, a nearly grown up son and daughter, fantastic wealth and a home in the beautiful, unforgiving desert she loves. Parssinen’s success in this novel is making the setting accessible, which is important because of how it defines the characters who make it their home. A third generation expatriate, Parssinen’s heroine, Rosalie, channels the author’s obvious love of her youthful home, and demonstrates a serious understanding of a culture which seems exotic at best, and crazy at worst, to most of her American audience. ![]() ![]() “The Ruins of Us,” Keija Parssinen’s debut novel, echoes back to her childhood in Saudi Arabia. ![]()
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May 2023
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