A grieving Jewish-American scholar and a displaced Palestinian refugee are set on a collision course when a secret intelligence operation intersects with a decades-old family legacy played out in the streets of Cairo and Tel Aviv.
The story opens with the shattering of Kenneth (Rossie) Rossberg’s quiet life. A renowned scholar of Islamic studies, Rossie’s world is upended when his wife is brutally murdered. Seeking answers the authorities cannot provide, Rossie is drawn into the clandestine world of international intelligence.
He soon discovers that his wife’s death was not a random act of violence, but a targeted strike linked to a high-stakes geopolitical game involving advanced satellite weaponry.
At its center is the ongoing power struggle of Jew against Arab in the Middle East, involving families, countries and loyalties. For the first time, the conflict is presented in personal terms that may be compared to “Cry, the Beloved Country,” a classic.
The Parallel Journey
While Rossie navigates the cold halls of the CIA and Mossad, the narrative introduces Fouad (Fou-Fou) Al Najimi. Born in a refugee camp, Fou-Fou is a man of the desert – resourceful, but surprisingly western-educated. He is a third-generation refugee, a man whose identity is built on stories of a homeland no longer his own. He is a horse of two colors, each galloping in opposite directions.
The Convergence
The paths of the two men converge in Cairo and Tel Aviv. Arabic-speaking Rossie trails Fou-Fou for the CIA and eventually, for Mossad. The tension escalates as Rossie and Fou-Fou realize they are being hunted not just by each other’s operatives, but by a shadow organization within the military-industrial complex that intends to use new satellite technology to change national boundaries.
The Climax
Fou-Fou’s American wife is kidnapped by Russian interests who would like to get their hands on the new weaponry. Her anger and Fou-Fou’s repentance help to end the struggle.
The novel concludes with Rossie returning to the U.S., no longer a man of mere books, but a witness to the human cost of intelligence. Fou-Fou remains in the shadows, still a man without a country, but now, husband and father content in a new, calmer life. Coincidentally, the two men eye each other over meals at The Plaza Hotel in New York. With a nod, each acknowledges the other in a personal and secret pact that transcends their origins and finally calls a halt to their hostilities.
A filmic novel. (Book and Kindle available on Amazon.com)