Letter From my Mother’s Friend

I read your book then spent a few days mulling it over.

Your first two books were very exciting and I felt I got to know your characters Sarah and Tanya well so much so I feel if I met them I could have a really good conversation with them about life over a cup of coffee.    I looked forward so much to the final book and I wasn’t disappointed.  It opened with a bang when Sarah was caught in a basement after explosive enemy fire.  What an introduction Shireen.  I was there and then hooked.   Your subject was very brave – child trafficking – not anything I think about much but will do so now especially when I learn of famine and floods.  You opened my eyes to  not only that situation but to a deeper problem traffickers using these tragedies to steal children.  I’m not naive but you brought it home the seriousness of these situations.  The nearest learning I had to that was in one of Liam Neeson’s films.  He made three: Taken, Taken 2 and Taken 3.  They were all very good but the one which sticks out in my mind is the one where his grown up daughter – university age travels to Paris  from USA with  her girlfriend for a holiday.  After the flight they are standing at either a taxi rank or a bus stop and this handsome young Frenchman  offers them a lift and accommodation.  Because he is so sweet and charming they agree and end up being trafficked, fed drugs and being sold to rich men in the Middle East.  Needless to say Liam Neeson saves the  day.  Again an eye opener for me in that one has to be careful whom one speaks to while travelling in a foreign country.

Sarah the doctor seems such a thoughtful and kind person who has a 6^th sense which is repeated many times.  She also puts herself in danger in order to help others.  What a wonderful character she is.  Tanya who works for Interpol is a strong feminine character who has to deal with some very serious situations. It’s their love for each other that comes out so tenderly that captures my heart.  In some countries this would be a taboo subject, but you handle it so softly and gently and believably.  It’s the way you tell the story from Sarah’s viewpoint and then Tanya’s which keeps the story moving along.  I thought some of your little homilies at the beginning of the chapters very clever – especially yours.

Dr Farooq – What an evil person he was and continued to be throughout your story.   The people Sarah and Tanya met while escaping through the countries to save the children were not always good.  There was so much evil and corruption but then you countered that with not all people being bad.  The story was punctuated by some who were helpful and kind in times of danger.  You introduced the cultures and the food so well.

At one point in the book, I thought how is Shireen going to bring this story to an end as often characters are killed off or walk hand in hand into the sunset but you did it so beautifully with Sarah happy and content to be in England again with the two children they had saved  and with Tanya who had been shot  given a desk job.   They were now a complete family.  You also resolved the mother situation with thoughtfulness.

I very much enjoyed all your books Shireen, but I think the last one, Heartline, was my favorite.  It had a very serious subject, it was a travelogue, a love story and a resolution to family issues.  In the book club I would give your book a 10.  I would also like to add I think it would be a wonderful film.  Wouldn’t that be something?

I’m sorry I won’t be reading of Sarah and Tanya again or I don’t think so but do hope you will continue to write.  You can’t stop now you are such an accomplished author.  Have you found another outlet for your writings?  Hope so.

I hope Shireen I have done your book justice.  I can’t emphasize enough how interesting and enjoyable it was.

Keep me posted in what you are up to.  It would be nice to keep in touch