The Ambassador's Wife

Miranda loves the life she has built in the modern-day Middle East, with her infant daughter and ambassador husband, but their idyll is shattered when Miranda is kidnapped and held captive for months, in this debut novel by journalist Jennifer Steil. Miranda, a painter, is very content with her bohemian life, which allows her to follow her fellow artist girlfriend to Mazrooq. This (fictional) country in the Middle East becomes her home, and she befriends both expats and locals. When Miranda falls in love with Finn, the British ambassador, she finds herself thrust into a life that is both more restrictive and more freeing-neither of which she is prepared for. The world of an ambassador's wife is limited, by necessity-state obligations and safety concerns are just two of many limits. But she recognizes the upside: Having time for her husband, their young daughter, and pursuing her painting is all wonderful-until one day, while on a hike with other expat wives, Miranda is kidnapped by a group of Muslim extremists. She is held captive for months, while her husband desperately seeks a way to secure her release from captors who have never stepped forward or demanded a ransom. Author Jennifer Steil artfully fills in the history of Miranda and Finn's relationship, bringing their worlds to life amidst violence and betrayal.