Zoe Temple, a young British journalist who dreams of being a war correspondent; US officer Lt Rick Benes who is trying to get his platoon home alive; Adel, an Iraqi, who wants revenge for the death of his father Mahmoud; an Iraqi driver, in a secret love affair with a Christian woman Nouri; an innocent man tortured in Abu Ghraib...
In occupied Baghdad, their lives will come together - in a world of violence and mistrust, where every decision can be fatal, and love is found in unexpected quarters. And when a shocking incident at an American checkpoint leaves three people dead, it sets in motion a series of events that will have far-reaching consequences for them all.
The Burden of the Desert is fast-paced and gripping, and asks questions that will linger long after the last page is turned. Via the lives of a fascinating group of characters, former war correspondent Justin Huggler memorably evokes the atmosphere of a military occupation whose aftershocks are still being felt today.
