annie Lester, however, is not only trying to tackle all this, she's also doing it in the small Gulf emirate of Hawar, where, in the summer of 2002, the impact of America's decision to invade Iraq is just beginning to be felt. As her well-organized life begins to unravel in the most unexpected ways, annie has to make some difficult decisions and question where her loyalties lie. Are her sons defined by who they are, or by what they do? Can a British woman ever really be at home in the Middle East? And can James Hartley, the bue-eyed heartthrob adored by millions, really be serious about someone as ordinary as Anne Lester believes herself to be?