She’s OOOOK - beautiful in places but can’t escape that the plot is someone being bored and going crazy - the pay off of the crazy wasn’t enough for Frances the character or me as the reader to deal w the boredom UNFORCH.

Also .. I did wonder on some pages if it was a bit of a Michel Houellebecq style just because u are intellecuatal doesn’t mean you aren’t still being racist - some interesting convos between Frances (white western woman HATING living in 1980s saudia Arabia) and her female neighbours all locked in the gaff going mental together - but Frances babes u r liiiterallty a colonial wife - she has this whole underexplored past of having lived in Africa for 10+ years.

Appaz based on Hilary mantels real life experiences of Saudi in the 70s and 80s which is wild. And tbf she does odious characters well. But still is a generous 3 from me