The Nightingale

Gallaway’s provocative debut is a politically inspired romance set in contemporary Iraq. Before the start of the Iraq War, Leila al-Ghani’s family was among the most prominent and open-minded in Mosul. But since the release of the Abu Ghraib photos, her father, a judge under Saddam’s regime, has become increasingly conservative and bad-tempered. After being sexually harassed while working at an Iraqi hospital pharmacy, Leila, who yearns to become a doctor, becomes an Arabic-to-English translator at the hospital on a nearby American military base, though she must lie to her parents about her employment. At the hospital, Leila sheds her hijab and not only begins a relationship with handsome Special Forces Capt. James Cartwright but also begins treating detainees who are torture victims. When violence in Mosul reaches a fever pitch, Leila must choose between her family and what she knows is right. Though Gallaway often resorts to clichés and the trajectory of the story is predictable, she doesn’t flinch from depicting the everyday violence of Iraq or the difficult choices of life in a war zone. (Feb.)