In the Kingdom of Men by Kim Barnes
Gin Mitchell grew up in a rough way in 1960s Oklahoma. Her mom died, and then her grandmother died, so she was sent to live with her preacher grandfather (who her grandmother had left without ever looking back). It's a poor and alienating upbringing, and she can't turn off who she is. As she grows up, she sneaks out so she can experience life rather than quietly fear the Lord at home, and is whipped constantly. Finally salvation comes in the form of Mason McPhee, the town basketball hero. He visits home from college and takes Gin on a date. She can't believe her luck, and gives herself to him in his truck. When she finds out she's pregnant, she calls him, and he does the honorable thing: quits school and marries her.
Mason gets involved in the oil industry, and moves them to Houston. It is there Gin gives birth to a stillborn son. They're both devastated. Mason, still wanting to make something of himself and continue on his previous trajectory as best he can, takes an offer to do oil work in Saudi Arabia.
This is where the bulk of the novel takes place. The McPhees live in a home more grand than they have ever been in that's located in a compound that's like a cruise ship out in the desert. Allegedly, this is where they should have all they desire: friends, golf, shopping, pool, movies, dances... They even have a houseboy Yash who cooks delicious food, and a gardener. Gin never has to lift a finger again.
Of course, this results in boredom, especially when Mason is out on the rig working for weeks at a time. Gin befriends a woman named Ruthie, and they get into adventures. But slowly, it leaks out that something is wrong with the world the Americans have created within Arabia, and Mason's idealism may be naive.
It turns thrilling and heartbreaking in the end. I read it all breathlessly in less than 24 hours.
General consensus: Brilliant. Lyrically written. That Barnes took on so many different cultures and blended them seamlessly is astounding.
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