The Confusion of Languages [Paperback]

A gripping, cleverly plotted novel with surprising bite. --Phil Klay

From the award-winning author ofYou Know When the Men are Gonecomes a searing debut novel about jealousy, the unpredictable path of friendship, and the secrets kept in marriage.

Two women far from home. One terrible misunderstanding.

Both Cassie Hugo and Margaret Brickshaw dutifully followed their soldier husbands to the U.S. embassy in Jordan, but that's all the women have in common. After two years, Cassie's an expert on the rules, but newly arrived Margaret sees only her chance to explore. So when a fender-bender sends Margaret to the local police station, Cassie reluctantly agrees to watch Margaret's toddler son. But as the hours pass, Cassie's boredom and frustration turn to fear: Why isn't Margaret answering her phone? Soon Cassie begins to question not only her friend's whereabouts but also her own role in Margaret's disappearance.

Set within the U.S. expat community of the Middle East during the rise of the Arab Spring,The Confusion of Languagesplunges readers into a shattering collision between two women and two worlds, affirming Siobhan Fallon as a powerful voice in American fiction and a storyteller not to be missed.

Mesmerizing and devastating....Two military wives must explore a modern-day, cultural labyrinth in this insatiable read. --Sarah McCoy Explores friendships, parenting, and the civilian/military divide. . . . The more we can shrink the yawning chasm between families’ experiences, the better for us all.  —The Washington Post

“An incisive examination of friendship and betrayal and a skillful mingling of cultural and domestic themes.”—Booklist (starred review)

“A gripping, cleverly plotted novel with surprising bite.”—Phil Klay, author of Redeployment

“Mesmerizing and devastatinl-