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The Confusion of Languages

By: Siobhan Fallon
Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie, Lauren Fortgang
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Publisher's Summary

A searing debut novel from the award-winning author of You Know When the Men Are Gone, about jealousy, the unpredictable path of friendship, and the secrets kept in marriage, all set within the US expat community of the Middle East during the rise of the Arab Spring.

Both Cassie Hugo and Margaret Brickshaw dutifully followed their soldier husbands to the US embassy in Jordan, but that's about all the women have in common. After two years Cassie's become an expert on the rules, but newly arrived Margaret sees only her chance to explore. So when a fender bender sends Margaret to the local police station, Cassie reluctantly agrees to watch Margaret's toddler son. But as the hours pass, Cassie's boredom and frustration turn to fear: Why isn't Margaret answering her phone, and why is it taking so long to sort out a routine accident? Snooping around Margaret's apartment, Cassie begins to question not only her friend's whereabouts but also her own role in Margaret's disappearance.

With achingly honest prose and riveting characters, The Confusion of Languages plunges listeners into a shattering collision between two women and two worlds, affirming Siobhan Fallon as a powerful voice in American fiction and a storyteller not to be missed.

©2017 Siobhan Fallon (P)2017 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

"Explores friendships, parenting, and the civilian/military divide.... The more we can shrink the yawning chasm between families’ experiences, the better for us all." (The Washington Post)

“An incisive examination of friendship and betrayal and a skillful mingling of cultural and domestic themes.” (Booklist, starred review)  

“Mesmerizing and devastating.... Two military wives must explore a modern-day, cultural labyrinth. An insatiable read that will leave you breathless.” (Sarah McCoy, author of The Mapmaker's Children)

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