Book Spotlight – Regina Timothy – Full Circle

Title: Full Circle

(This will be free on Amazon 20-22nd June 2018)

Author: Regina Timothy

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Main character description (short).

The main character of the story is Samia-al-Sayyid, a 33 year old Iraqi immigrant living in the U.S. She overcomes a lot, and works so hard to make a good life for her teenage son. In the end, all her all her efforts are not enough.

Synopsis:

Eight years after the 9/11 attacks, Samia-Al-Sayyid an Iraqi refugee is living a quiet life in New York City after she fled her home to avoid imminent death.

She works hard for her cold, heartless, high-strung boss, loves her seventeen-years-old-son, and cherishes the close friendship she has formed with her best friend Susan.

Nothing can go wrong, or so she thinks – until the estranged brother she left back in Iraqi shows up on her doorstep. Then she finds herself in a cab, on her way to the hospital to identify her son, a terror suspect who has blown up the city, and with it her boss’ husband, and her best friend’s son. With everything lost, she is forced to flee to Iraq where she confronts her past. Will she make peace with her past? Can she get forgiveness for all the damage she has caused?

Full Circle is a contemporary fiction tale of friendship, family, and hope. It explores the devastation of loss, the great capacity to forgive and the lengths our loved ones will go to protect us.

Brief Excerpt 250 words:

For hours, Samia sat next to her Aazim’s bed like a zombie, clutching his hand. She did not cry, she just sat there – staring into space with his cold hand in hers. A few times she tried praying for her son, but nothing came to mind. So she gave up on the idea. Instead, she thought. She thought of the first day her uncle came to her when she was thirteen. She looked like she had been run over by a train by the time he was done with her, and it was months before she was able to shed her abaya. She thought of the day she found out she would have Aazim; she was barely a woman, engulfed in paralyzing fear and the endless pit of loneliness. She thought of her daring escape in the middle of the night aided by her best friend Mannar and auntie Menna when they found out her brother’s planned to stone her the next morning. She thought of her journey to Turkey and her terror when she got to Mardin refugee camp. She thought of the relief she felt standing in the refugee camp when she was given her refugee papers to fly to America. She thought of the first time she set foot in the United States – tired, hungry, homesick, and three months pregnant. She thought of the first time she had been called the enemy, the first time her son had been called a terrorist. Now they were the enemy.

Why should readers buy this book (50 words max)?

This book is about hope and forgiveness. It tells a riveting story of an Iraqi refugee who is determined to succeed despite the hurdles set on her path.

The book has been likened to Khaled Hosseini’s Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Full Circle - Cover