Eau Claire author Cathy Sultan has written a quartet of novels set against the contemporary Middle East, most recently Omar's Choice.

In the fourth and final installment of her Syria quartet, Eau Claire author Cathy Sultan returns with Omar’s Choice, a geopolitical thriller set in Syria. When Omar, a member of ISIS, is recruited by a CIA operative named John, the results are devastating for the country that Omar calls home. The book’s subplots provide insight into an array of real-world-inspired aspects of violence in the Middle East – from peacekeeping missions gone awry to efforts to halt the spread of cholera across northern Syria.

Sultan, who lived in Lebanon for decades, brings firsthand knowledge to her novel. By offering readers a fictional account of real-world problems, Sultan hopes to steer readers toward deepening their knowledge of the region while offering glimmers of how to find peace in a war-torn region.
But is peace possible in Syria? Yes, Sultan says, “If we actively participate in the process of government, if we become informed on issues affecting our foreign policy to differentiate fact from fiction. We must hold our politicians accountable for their actions,” she adds. “As members of the international community, these are our obligations, and no one is exempt. We have everything to gain. Peace, after all, is the cornerstone of world stability and a viable future."  

Written in the page-turning style of Tom Clancy and buoyed by the research methods of Lawrence Wright, Sultan’s fictionalized version of the Middle East’s clandestine conflicts will hit close to home for every worldly reader.

Cathy Sultan will read from Omar’s Choice on Thursday, Sept. 26, in the Riverview Room of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, 400 Eau Claire St., Eau Claire. Learn more about the event here. Learn more about Sultan’s work at cathysultan.com.