Set
in oil-rich Saudi Arabia amid 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 al-Baylani, Rosalie learns that her husband has taken
a second wife, beautiful Palestinian Isra. The discovery plunges the
powerful family into chaos as Rosalie grapples with leaving Saudi
Arabia, her life, and her family behind. Meanwhile, Abdullah and
Rosalie's consuming personal entanglements blind them to the crisis
approaching their sixteen-year-old son, Faisal, who is growing
increasingly involved 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.
The Ruins of Us - UK Cover
"The relationship between America and Saudi Arabia has had profound and tragic consequences in contemporary US history, and The Ruins of Us illuminates this danse macabre by telling us a gripping story about princes and bureaucrats, wives and extra-wives, sons and daughters, fanatics and exiles whose appetites and beliefs have been, until now, unavailable to readers of contemporary American fiction. Keija Parssinen, a self-described "ARAMCO brat," uses her first-hand knowledge of the cross-roads where US and Saudi Arabian economic and political interests intersect, and sometimes collide, and she directs the human and historical traffic with a maestro's sense of pace, and a true storyteller's sense of consequence."
Scott Spencer, author of Man in The Woods and Endless Love
"The Ruins of Us is an arresting story of family and country. Parssinen's characters are richly conceived and her evocative petrol universe of wealth, privilege, and intrigue is unforgettable. Powerful storytelling that is refreshing and entertaining."
Anthony Swofford, author of Jarhead
"In The Ruins of Us , Keija Parssinen carries the reader from Texas into the Saudi Kingdom in the grip of a story that is both entertaining and wise. Through an expertly drawn cast of characters and a suspenseful and timely series of events, it poses the universal questions: how much do we really know about the ones we love and how far will that love carry us when the earth below our feet starts to shift? This book marks the debut of an enormously talented writer who is unafraid to lead us on the greatest adventure of all--into the wilds of the human heart."
Lise Saffran, author of Juno's Daughters
"The Ruins of Us is a stunning debut novel--a love story that spans continents. Writing with kindness and longing about Saudi Arabia and Sugar Land, Texas, Parssinen teaches us that while cultural differences run deep, when it comes to matters of the heart, we are all the same. I was dazzled by this book."
Amanda Eyre Ward, author of Close Your Eyes
The Ruins of Us - UK Cover
"The relationship between America and Saudi Arabia has had profound and tragic consequences in contemporary US history, and The Ruins of Us illuminates this danse macabre by telling us a gripping story about princes and bureaucrats, wives and extra-wives, sons and daughters, fanatics and exiles whose appetites and beliefs have been, until now, unavailable to readers of contemporary American fiction. Keija Parssinen, a self-described "ARAMCO brat," uses her first-hand knowledge of the cross-roads where US and Saudi Arabian economic and political interests intersect, and sometimes collide, and she directs the human and historical traffic with a maestro's sense of pace, and a true storyteller's sense of consequence."
Scott Spencer, author of Man in The Woods and Endless Love
"The Ruins of Us is an arresting story of family and country. Parssinen's characters are richly conceived and her evocative petrol universe of wealth, privilege, and intrigue is unforgettable. Powerful storytelling that is refreshing and entertaining."
Anthony Swofford, author of Jarhead
"In The Ruins of Us , Keija Parssinen carries the reader from Texas into the Saudi Kingdom in the grip of a story that is both entertaining and wise. Through an expertly drawn cast of characters and a suspenseful and timely series of events, it poses the universal questions: how much do we really know about the ones we love and how far will that love carry us when the earth below our feet starts to shift? This book marks the debut of an enormously talented writer who is unafraid to lead us on the greatest adventure of all--into the wilds of the human heart."
Lise Saffran, author of Juno's Daughters
"The Ruins of Us is a stunning debut novel--a love story that spans continents. Writing with kindness and longing about Saudi Arabia and Sugar Land, Texas, Parssinen teaches us that while cultural differences run deep, when it comes to matters of the heart, we are all the same. I was dazzled by this book."
Amanda Eyre Ward, author of Close Your Eyes
