In C.J. Carleson's "The Tyrant's Daughter," Laila has just arrived in America, but she's not the average immigrant. Her father was the ruler of a Middle Eastern country who has been killed in a bloody coup led by her uncle. Laila, her mother and brother have relocated to the United States with the aid of the CIA.
It doesn't take Laila long to discover just about everything she thought she knew about her father was inaccurate. Where she and her little brother had thought him a king, the rest of the world regarded him as a corrupt and brutal dictator. Still reeling from being torn out of the only life she's known, Laila finds the United States to be overwhelming. She is not used to being able to walk about without bodyguards. She's never attended school. Never had friends. Laila is immediately befriended by her peer ambassador, Emmy, who helps to introduce Laila to American teenage life.
All the while, Laila's mother is in contact with local refugees who were once targeted by her father, her uncle (now the new dictator) and the CIA. Who is helping whom? Will this family's life ever be peaceful? Can Laila ever atone for her father's transgressions against their people?
This unique novel puts global conflict into context. The country Laila's family hails from is unnamed, but feels very similar to several oppressive Middle-Eastern regimes. Laila's family has a lot to deal with, ranging from dealing with the death of their patriarch to coming to terms with someone they thought of as a gentle family man, rather than a brutal dictator responsible for innumerable deaths and atrocities
Laila is a fascinating, complex character. Her mother is quite interesting as well. They have both come from a culture where women had few rights and now live in a country where they are expected to take care of themselves and their family. Laila's mother does it the best way she knows how: manipulation and bargaining. The plot will keep readers on their toes, because the motivations of the players that shape Laila's world are unknown even to Laila.
Courtney Waters is the teen services librarian for Missouri River Regional Library.