THE KINDNESS OF ENEMIES

338pp., hardback, d.w., New York, 2015

Novel about Natasha, a young woman born into a Muslim family but desperate to assimilate, and Oz, a brilliant student at the university in Scotland where Natasha teaches, who is accused of terrorism.

"... a novel that recreates the fascinating story of the rebel of the Caucasus, Imam Shamil, a 19th-century warrior who battled to defend his home against the invading Russians and united the Muslims of the region under his iconic leadership. Weaving the story of his relationship with a Georgian princess he kidnapped into a more contemporary story of mistaken terrorism, we learn much about the nature of loss, the legacy of exile and the meaning of home at a time in our world when all three are high in our minds" Mariella Frostrup Guardian, Best Books of 2015

Novelist and playwright Leila Aboulela's novels include The Translator, Minaret and Lyrics Alley. Lyrics Alley (Fiction Winner of the Scottish Book Awards). Aboulela grew up in Khartoum, Sudan, and now lives in Aberdeen.