An otherwise fine historical fiction novel is marred by a bizarre, incongruous ending. Russell's novel is fascinating without her shift in tone in the last chapters. Why stray so far from the detailed and engaging narrative?

Besides that, I found a lot to like about this book. Agnes might not be the best narrator - her circumstances are just a little too convenient to set her up with the likes of Lawrence of Arabia and Winston Churchill. However, she is immensely likeable and the reader sympathizes with her as she comes out of her shell. The period detail and introduction of characters (and I mean characters) such as Gertrude Bell provided insight into an important meeting of the minds that isn't readily explored in our collective history despite its relevance to today's issues in the Middle East. The parallels and religious questions are an astute literary observation that helped to make this novel enjoyable.