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Synopsis for ‘WHIRLING’
a novel by Kara Jacob:

Imagine a scenario where you have travelled to the exotic Middle East, hoping for adventure, looking for romance, wanting to change your old life. Now, imagine that you get all three.

This is the story of Christabel: Brisbanite, secretary, ambivalent de facto, romantic, would-be adventurer and junk food addict. Escaping to Turkey from a relationship turned sour, she finds herself kidnapped and heading south over the borders.

After a series of new owners, Christabel arrives in the home of Salem, a young Yemeni man from a family of smugglers. Now, if one were to be kidnapped and forced to become the wife of a stranger, Salem would be near to perfect. He’s attractive, fun, kind, attentive, and madly in love with Christabel; but he does have two major flaws. He’s holding her against her will and he’s already the husband of two other wives.

Because escape is not an option, Christabel struggles to come to terms with her new life. Her physical battles are many - initial hostility, the strange food and customs, the backbreaking housework, what to do about unwanted pregnancies, and the boredom of being captive in a small compound, isolated from almost all but the family who live there. However, it’s the psychological battles which cause her the most concern. What can she make of the love and devotion poured upon her by Salem, or of the friendship offered by other members of the family? How can a sensible woman come, not only to tolerate, but to love her wardens and her prison? And what of the children she bears? How would they cope leaving the only world they know?

This novel explores the ideas of freedom, love and commitment through Christabel’s experiences as a stranger in a foreign environment. It hopes to challenge western concepts about Islam and Arabs, and also, to prompt readers to think about cultural differences and the importance of perspective. For example, Christabel must grapple with the fact that, although she was kidnapped and sold to a stranger, being sold into marriage to an unknown man is the fate of most of the women with whom she lives. Consequently, her reasons for complaint are not comprehensible to her new friends.

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