The Nightingale

The Nightingale
by Morgana Gallaway
Kensington Books, 2009. 344 pgs. Fiction

Leila al-Ghani grew up in one of the most privileged, progressive families in Mosul, Iraq. She just finished college in Egypt and plans to go to medical school, but after returning home she finds that her hometown is plagued by violence from the American occupation and her father has become increasingly involved with radical fundamentalists. Her father wants to arrange a marriage for her with her cousin, but Leila secretly takes a job as a translator and medical assistant at the US Army hospital. She finds herself torn between her new friends and colleagues on the base and her loyalty to her family and country.

I thought this book was a pretty good read, but not as great as it could be. I really liked the main character and the plot of this book has many twists and turns. There is both adventure and romance, and a lot of information about contemporary life in Iraq. However, some of the characters seemed to be just stereotypes and I wasn’t completely satisfied with the ending.

JC