The Observant

The Observant by Ravi Mangla is the story of a documentary filmmaker who is at first in a secret location in a Middle Eastern country to meet with dissidents to record their stories. After uploading the file and deleting it from his equipment, he returns to the city and is arrested by the authorities. He's imprisoned and interrogated, but eventually, he is coerced/persuaded by the country's dictator to make a film about his life. The political situation in the country is tenuous and everyone is afraid of the dictator, including his wife and security guards. This book is riveting and beautifully written, and, though short, manages to tell in some detail the stories of the filmmaker, the dictator, and the dictator's wife. Highly recommended.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.