In the Land of the Pure

In the Land of the Pure is a geopolitical thriller set in Pakistan, the only Muslim country to possess an atomic bomb which worries the Western governments and secret services. Could one of the terrorist groups in the country use it to threaten the world at large? Anne le Guennec, a French woman reporter is sent to investigate these strategic questions. She discovers a beautiful and complex country quite different from the image it has outside. Alongside feudalism and obscurantism, she finds the country to be modern and sophisticated — with its art galleries, theatres, fashion shows and cafes. Not exactly the black hole populated by bearded men and veiled women that is portrayed to the world. She also discovers the ‘great game’ of the 21st century — a muffled yet ferocious conflict between the United States and China for supremacy in this region — at the crossroads of the principal petroleum routes and rich in rare metals. During her investigations, Anne meets colourful characters — an intrepid old begum, a dancer and activist for women’s rights and also Karim, an ambiguous theatre man who fascinates her. But while she seeks to penetrate fundamentalist groups and obtain an interview with a leader, she falls into a death trap. Will the mysterious Karim be able to save her? Karim who loves Pakistan madly and keeps a dangerous secret.

About the Author

Kenize Mourad, pen name of Kenize Hussain de Kotwara, is a journalist and novelist. She was born in Paris to a Turkish mother, Sema Sultan, and an Indian father, the Rajah of Kotwara, a principality in Awadh, India. Kenize was brought up in Paris by Catholic nuns. She studied psychology and sociology at the Sorbonne University after which she began her career as a freelance journalist for the weekly Afrique Asie and the monthly Le Monde Diplomatique. In 1970, she joined the prestigious weekly Le Nouvel Observateur and reported on the Middle East, India and Pakistan. She covered the Indo-Pak war of 1971, the Lebanese wars, the Israel-Palestine conflict, the Iranian Revolution (1978-79), etc. After about twelve years of journalism, Kenize decided to turn to writing. She wrote her first book, Memories of a Dead Princess, in 1987 which became a bestseller and was translated into 34 languages. She has several other publications to her credit including Le Jardin de Badalpour, Our Sacred Land: Voices of the Palestine- Israel Conflict and In the City of Silver and Gold: The Story of Hazrat Mahal. Kenize has been awarded the ‘Price Anais Ségalas’ by the French Academy and the prestigious Readers Award by Elle magazine. She was appointed ‘Officer of Arts and Letters’ by the French government. She is the president of the Indian Book Salon in Paris and has been the jury president for over twenty years of the France-Turquie Literary Award.

Binding: Paperback · Pages: 313 · Published: 2024 · Publisher: Lightstone Publishers

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