Florence of Arabia

Florence is as timely a read as when it hit the library shelves in 2004. Christopher Buckley writes about serious Arab American issues in a wonderfully funny way. This comedy is stoked with international intrigue, sprinkled with romance and droll dialogue and I couldn't put it down. Our heroin Florence Farfaletti , U.S. Foreign Service takes on the super difficult task of creating TV Matar to cater to Arab women and incite them to become independent. It is a delicate walk on a tight rope for Florence, negotiating between U.S. ineptitude and Arab intolerance. The lineup on TV Matar includes The Thousand and One Mornings; an addictive soap opera strangely resembling the royal family; and a sitcom about inept religious police. Her crackerjack staff include a CIA killer, a snappy PR man, and a brilliant but frustrated bureaucrat who are diligent to the point of risking their lives for one another. This satirical novel is successful in paying homage to Fern Holland, a real life Florence of Arabia, assassinated in Iraq, March 9, 2004, age thirty-three. Smart, funny and sharp as a scimitar.