Review: The Ruins of Us by Keija Parssinen

Title: The Ruins of Us
Author: Keija Parssinen
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Publish Date: January 17, 2012
Source: Netgalley

Why You're Reading This Book:

• You like stories about families.
• You don't mind books that cover difficult subjects.

What's the Story?:


From Goodreads.com: "Set in the oil-rich Eastern Province amidst an unprecedented wave of terrorist violence, and exploring the loneliness of expatriatism and the immeasurable dangers of intolerance, The Ruins of Us is a timely story about the universality of family and the injustices we endure for love.
 
More than two decades after moving to Saudi Arabia and marrying Abdullah Baylani, Rosalie learns that her husband has taken a second wife, beautiful Palestinian Isra. The discovery plunges thepowerful family into chaos as Rosalie grapples with leaving Saudi Arabia, herlife, and her family behind. Driven by anger at the betrayal, she plots her departure, soliciting fellow American and Abdullah’s best friend, lonely divorcé Dan Coleman, to help her. Meanwhile, Abdullah and Rosalie’s consuming personal entanglements blind them to the crisis approaching theirsixteen-year-old son Faisal, whose deepening resentment towards their lifestylehas led to his growing involvement with a controversial Sheikh. When Faisal makes an ill-fated choice that could destroy everything his embattled family holds dear, all must confront difficult truths as they fight to preserve what remains of their love."

My Two Cents:

This book is really about a family going in all different directions from each other. Abdullah has entered a new marriage with his second wife. His first wife (who he is still married to), American-born Rosalie, finds out on accident that he has married another woman. Meanwhile, Rosalie and Abdullah's son, Faisal, is moving towards extremism with a radical shiekh while their daughter, Mariam, is rebelling in her own way. No member of this family seems to know what is going on with the other. The...moreThis book is really about a family going in all different directions from each other. Abdullah has entered a new marriage with his second wife. His first wife (who he is still married to), American-born Rosalie, finds out on accident that he has married another woman. Meanwhile, Rosalie and Abdullah's son, Faisal, is moving towards extremism with a radical shiekh while their daughter, Mariam, is rebelling in her own way. No member of this family seems to know what is going on with the other. They are truly falling apart.

This story is definitely intriguing and kept me reading. Saudi Arabia is a very fascinating country and it was interesting to see how Rosalie, an American woman, adapted to a country where women have very little freedom. One of Abdullah's gripes with her is that she's lost a lot of the American ways that he liked about her when he first married her and has assimilated to the ways of the Saudis.

One thing that I wish the author had done was to write more about the motives of the different characters. Why would Abdullah do something as extreme as marry another woman without his wife knowing? Why does Faisal do what he does towards the end of the book (sorry for the vagueness but I don't want to give anything away)? I would have also liked to know more about what made the characters tick. How did Rosalie feel coming to a country like Saudi Arabia? Even with these questions that I have, this book was still an enjoyable read.