Susan Froetschel's novel Fear of Beauty offers a compelling portrait of Sofi, an Afghan woman mourning the mysterious death of her oldest son while caring for a controlling husband and four other children--tilling the fields all day while cooking and cleaning without running water or electricity.
When a group of violent insurgents threaten Sofi's small village, fate causes her to befriend an American woman, who teaches Sofi to read. This causes an empowered Sofie to discover some horrifying secrets about those she holds dear. Froetschel's intricate plot is further complicated when a group of U.S. Marines set up camp near Sofie's home. As Sofi soon learns, sometimes it's hard to separate the good guys from the bad guys.
It may be difficult for some readers to stomach parts of this novel--there's murder, an acid attack, the trafficking of children, women being punished for learning to read. But Sofi finds her way in an act of courage that will leave you feeling that this fictional woman halfway across the world isn't so different from you and me. Froetschel has great respect for the Afghan culture and deftly provides a slice-of-life tale that moves, informs and even surprises. --Natalie Papailiou, author of blog MILF: Mother I'd Like to Friend