I'm in the middle of this novel about a young woman who has lost her entire family to WWI and the Great Influenza. She travels to Eygpt, where she meets Lawrence (of Arabia) and the gentleman German spy who follows him. So far, it's been a little quote heavy, but I like Agnes, and her struggle to become an independent woman, free from the binds that still tie her to the tyranny of her late mother, is interesting.

I have to say that this book, by one of my favorite authors (see review of The Sparrow), was a bit of a disappointment. Great historical setting, interesting characters, but something was missing. I don't think the narrative setup was effective; it led to an ending that was downright silly. The book should have ended with her departure from Egypt, with perhaps a short epilogue. And the parallels with modern day issues in the Middle East were a little heavy handed. Still, she writes with poetry and faith in her heart, and if the novel's structural flaws were disappointing, the core story was not.