Anissa of Syria

Anissa is traumatized by the most brutal conflict of the 21st Century: the Syrian Civil War. In 2012, Islamists in Homs terrorize a Syrian-Christian community and destroy everything that a young woman holds dear. Narrowly escaping death, Anissa restarts her devastated life as a college student in New York City. She is bewildered and lost, but hopeful for a better life in a new land.

Anissa is soon drawn to two powerful individuals: Michael Kassab, the Syrian-American leader working to found the first Mideast Christian state, and Julien Morales, her Columbia University professor who runs a $20 billion hedge fund.

Complicating matters, Michael is still attached to his ex-girlfriend and Julien is the most sought after bachelor in Manhattan (and has hidden demons that even his therapist can't extract). Anissa's heart and her communal ties pull her in different directions, as she seeks hope and renewal in a dark world.

"Anissa of Syria" might be compared to "The Kite Runner," "Exodus," and "The Diary of Anne Frank."

NOTE: This is a "clean read" edition of "The Syrian Virgin" (i.e., this version has no profanity and just a few, brief scenes of minimally described intimacy without reference to any explicit details or sexual anatomy). Due to war themes, this book is not recommended for readers under 16.