City of Spies

In this intimate coming-of-age story set in the late 1970s, a young girl struggles to make sense of the chaos around her during Pakistan's political upheaval, where the military revolts, the embassy burns, and a terrible secret tears her world apart.

Eleven-year-old Aliya Shah lives a double life in Islamabad, Pakistan--at home with her Pakistani father and Dutch mother, and at the American School, where Aliya tries to downplay that she is a "half-and-half." But when a hit-and-run driver kills the son of the family's servant, Sadiq, who is also Aliya's dear friend, her world is turned upside down. After she discovers the truth behind the tragedy--a terrible secret that burdens her heart--her conflicted loyalties are tested as never before.

Based on the author's own experiences growing up in Islamabad, City of Spies offers a poignant and dramatic portrait of a tumultuous time, as seen through the eyes of a brave and compassionate young heroine struggling to find her place in the gray area between loyalty and complicity, family and country.

Revised edition: This edition of City of Spies includes editorial revisions.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Little a
Published: 09/19/2017
ISBN: 9781503941588
Pages: 284
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.40w x 0.90d

Review Citations: Booklist 08/01/2017 pg. 21