Feminine Strength

The author includes two strong but contrasting female characters to illustrate that women, just like men, can use their strengths to either make the world a better place or to destroy it. Sydney and Laura have very little in common with the exception of their love for what each considers her own, namely Sydney's love for the young boy Malik and Laura's love for her daughter Miriam. While Sydney’s nightmare of working in mortuary services during the Iraq war has made her more determined to see that justice is served, Laura’s terrible experiences have just made her lash out at the world in an attempt to protect herself and her daughter.

Even three years after Sydney returned to America from Iraq, Sydney is still haunted by her memories of Iraq and her inability to keep her promise to Malik. Sydney mourns the loss...