Behind
the Lens
Jeanee Sacken
Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Ten 16 Press
March 9, 2021
436 pp
Buy on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo
About the Book
Eight years ago, seasoned photojournalist Annie Hawkins
Green barely survived a Taliban ambush that left her military escort dead and a
young Afghan girl dying in her arms. Since then, she has managed to suppress
her memories of that brutal day—until she returns to Afghanistan to teach a
photography workshop at the secondary school for girls run by her expat best
friend Darya Faludi. As the Taliban gain prominence in the once peaceful
region, Annie’s nightmares from her last time in-country come roaring back with
a vengeance. But are they just dreams? The unshakeable feeling of a grim,
watchful presence makes Annie think otherwise.
As Annie struggles with her nightmares, more trouble brews with the suspicion
that Darya’s teenage daughter is sneaking away at night to meet her shadowy
boyfriend. Meanwhile, Annie’s own daughter wages war with her father and
stepmother back home, feeding Annie’s all-consuming mom-guilt. Her only
comfort, a poetry-writing U.S. Naval officer who saved her life all those years
ago, is now at the other end of a satellite phone 7,000 miles away. How can he
possibly keep her safe?
How can anyone?
My review
Behind the Lens is a stunning debut novel ultimately about
friendship and family set amidst cultural upheaval. War in modern day
Afghanistan might be expected to work one way, but war on the home front in a
blended family situation is always a whisper influencing everything Annie
Hawkins does, wherever she goes as a photojournalist. Divorced over the danger
she constantly seeks, Annie shares her daughter with her ex-husband while
working all over the world as a prize-winning photographer. When the stars
almost align for Annie to fulfill a years-long promise to her former roommate and
best friend Darya now operating a girls school in Afghanistan, Annie leaves
home again to teach a class on photography during the midst of a power struggle
between her daughter and her daughter’s stepmother. It’s been eight years since
Annie has been back, and immediately long-suppressed memories resurface in
episodes of disturbing PTSD. Only this time the memories reveal facts and offer
clues about her current hazardous situation.
Annie’s friend also has a teenage daughter with a secret war
going on. When Annie finally gets Darya’s daughter to open up, the truth is as
ugly as it gets. Annie seeks a balance of friendship and promises while reflecting
on her underlying guilt as a parent who regularly abandons her own child. Complicating
matters further is Annie’s trust issues with a complex man who rescued her long
ago and his attempts to protect her now.
Author Jeannée Sacken brings life to a crippling and
maniacal segment of life in a turbulent nation. Step into the reality and
horrors of not only the subjects of a photojournalist but the aftermath
affecting Annie’s life and career. Experience the great joys and beauty of a
country and people caught in the crossfire of deep-seated tradition and modern
extremism with the bitter sorrows of terrorism in the stories Annie must live
in order to tell.
Although I highly recommend this story for high school
readers and up, some language, authentic violence, and mild adult situations
lead me to caution parents to check it out first. Told from Annie’s viewpoint
throughout, the story ebbs and flows in tides of pleasure and fear as Annie
remembers the past, searches to explain why she takes risky assignments, and surrenders
to her passion for telling story from behind a camera lens.
About the Author:
A former English professor, Jeannée Sacken is a photojournalist
who travels the world documenting the lives of women and children. She lives in
Shorewood, Wisconsin, with her husband and cat, where she’s hard at work on her
next novel also featuring Annie Hawkins Green. Follow Jeannée at
jeanneesacken.com.
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