“Filled with political intrigue and emotional tension, Carleson’s riveting novel features a teenage refugee caught in a web of deceit and conspiracy.” —PW, starred review
When her father is killed in a coup, Laila and her mother and brother leave their war-torn homeland for a fresh start in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.
At her new high school, Laila makes mistakes, makes friends, and even meets a boy who catches her eye. But this new life brings unsettling facts to light. The American newspapers call her father a brutal dictator and suggest that her family’s privilege came at the expense of innocent lives. Meanwhile, her mother would like nothing more than to avenge his death, and she’ll go to great lengths to regain their position of power.
As an international crisis takes shape around her, Laila is pulled in one direction, then another, but there’s no time to sort out her feelings. She has to pick a side now, and her decision will affect not just her own life, but countless others. . . .
Inspired by the author's experience as a CIA officer in Iraq and Syria, this book is as timely as it is relevant.
Praise for The Tyrant’s Daughter:
“Carleson, a former undercover CIA officer, infuses her story with compelling details and gripping authenticity.” —The Boston Globe
“Every American should read this book. It’s an eye-opener.” —Suzanne Fisher Staples, Newbery Honor–winning author of Shabanu
Forced to live in exile, 15 year old Laila, her 6 year old brother Bastien and their mother, are trying to cope with the loss of their father and husband. Laila’s father, who she always thought of as the King but is actually a dictator, is killed by his brother in a coup. They are taken by an American government official to live near Washington, DC and he is trying to use them to influence events back in their former country. Laila makes few friends in her new school but her brother seems to be adapting well as long as he has enough cereal and video games. Their mother becomes caught up in a game of playing both sides against the other with their American rescuer and a group of refugees from their former country in order to gain a return to their former life of security and wealth. While the country in this book is fictitious events that surround the story bare a lot of truth. It makes you consider what life is like for the family and children of people we read about and see in the news every day. In her afterword the author relates her story and how her experiences working abroad have given her insight into what kind of world and experiences family’s like Laila’s have had. * This review is based on an ARC received from NetGalley.
