"Please note: This novel contains adult themes arising from situations of war and human rights abuses as well as from clashes between secular and religious cultures. It is not suitable for young children."

Spike Darbyfield emotionally invests in only two things: her younger sister, Margie, and higher-end Japanese anime series. From others in her family, and from her colleagues, clientele, and most of humanity, Spike maintains an ironic or contemptuous detachment. When an Iraqi militant group kidnaps her sister while Margie is working for a human rights organization in Iraq, the crisis...