by Jan Coffey
Dr. Mansori came from Kermanshah and attended the funeral. He stood with Austyn and explained the customs as the ceremony proceeded.
Rahaf’s body was shrouded in white. She had been placed on a flat board that was like an open casket. Flowers covered her. Sometime around midday, a group of young men approached the corpse and lifted the casket onto their shoulders. They started a procession that wound through the crowds. People threw flowers at the body and then joined the line of mourners. Fahimah led the group to the small burial ground on the hill. In the distance, the rugged peaks of the mountains pierced the clear blue sky.
Austyn was in awe of Fahimah’s strength. For one burying the last member of her family, she displayed tremendous courage.
He had to leave today. The same private plane that had brought him over from Halabja was taking him back. He would drive back with Dr. Mansori to Kermanshah to catch the plane. Fahimah knew he was leaving.
Austyn had spoken to a number of top officials in the US. Every kind of arrangement was being made possible. From a teaching position at Salahaddin University in Erbil to financial settlements so that she could start her life again in Kurdistan, he was leaving no stone unturned for her. He had even cleared the way for her to go to America, though he knew she would never accept that path. When they talked, she told him her wish, for now, was to stay in Kurdistan.
After the funeral she stayed with him at the cemetery as everyone else moved down to the tents that had been set up to feed the crowds.
“Thank you,” he told her, taking her hand and placing a kiss on her palm.
“If it were not for you, I would never have seen Rahaf before she died,” she told him, smiling sadly at the spot where fresh flowers covered the dirt where her sister had just been buried.
“I’m sorry. It didn’t have to be like this.”
She nodded. “As Rahaf said, we are all victims of the actions of those who govern our countries. The past is behind me. Now, I have to decide where I want to go from here.”
“I told you that you can come to the U.S.,” he immediately offered again. “I know you will get an invitation from the president if you choose to come. You can teach…or do whatever you want to do.”
“No. My place is here…for now, at least,” she said gently. “These are my people. We are only starting the fight.”
“What fight?” he asked.
“The road to independence,” she said. “I cannot act the part of a physician like Rahaf, but perhaps I can be my people’s voice.”
Austyn was honestly happy for her. She’d already found a purpose. He told her that. About the sadness he was feeling for himself, he said nothing.
A car horn beeped at the foot of the hill. They were waiting for him.
“You need to go,” she said, encouragingly.
“Do you think our paths will ever cross again?” he asked.
She smiled, looked up at the blue sky above. Her green eyes startled him still.
“I cannot say. Perhaps not.” She raised herself on her toes and brushed a kiss against his cheek. “But we have a saying…No matter where you go, your destiny follows you.”
Austyn’s climb down that hill to the waiting car was the hardest path he had ever traveled. Reaching the road, he looked back.
At the top of the hill, Fahimah stood in the breeze…alone, strong, her clear eyes fixed on the distant peaks.
Author’s Note
We hoped you enjoyed reading The Janus Effect. We found this to be a very emotional book to write; many of the references to the genocidal Anfal Campaign that killed and displaced hundreds of thousands of innocent people in Kurdistan are sadly, painfully true.
We would like to thank our aunt and uncle and cousin, the Rahimian family, for it is the pride they carry for their Kurdish heritage that planted the seed in us years ago to write a book set in that region. We are also grateful to Kurdish filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi for his inspiring films—especially Turtles Can Fly—and for bringing attention to the children who are left behind after every war.
We are also forever indebted to our many loyal readers. We hope you enjoyed this visit with President Penn, who was originally introduced in Silent Waters.
Once again, characters never go away in our books…they only take short breaks. In fact, if you want to read an alternate ending to The Janus Effect, the additional chapters are free on our website. Read them here.
Finally, we need to ask a favor. If you’re so inclined, we’d love a review of The Janus Effect. Loved it, hated it, just love the feedback.
As you may have already know, reviews can be difficult to come by these days. You, the reader, have the power now to make or break a book. If you have the time, here is a link to our author page on Amazon. You can find all of our books here.
Amazon Author Page
Wishing you peace and health!
[email protected]
Nikoo & Jim McGoldrick
P.O. Box 665
Watertown, CT 06795
or you can visit us on the web at www.JanCoffey.com
The Janus Effect, by authors Jim and Nikoo McGoldrick (writing as Jan Coffey), is a thriller that will have you turning the pages into the night. But it is also the compelling story of a woman’s journey home to her country and family after surviving terrible losses. We invite you to explore the themes and characters in The Janus Effect with the following discussion questions:
What strength of character allows Fahimah to survive five years in the “ghost prison”? She muses, “God finds a low branch for the bird that cannot fly.” What does this Kurdish proverb reveal about her outlook on life?
What makes Austyn suspect that they have the wrong sister? How does this affect the way that he proceeds with his mission?
“Stairs are climbed step by step”. Fahimah and Austyn are each on a journey. In what ways are their journeys different? In what ways are they similar?
Why does Fahimah agree to help the two agents? Why doesn’t she run away at the first opportunity?
David and Josh’s week-long trip on the research vessel Harmony is supposed to be part of a journey of healing. How does irony play a part in the unfolding events on the boat? How does irony play a part in the novel’s later action?
As we learn more about Fahimah’s background, we learn more about her situation as an Iraqi and as a Kurd. Discuss the ways that the distinction between the two comes across in the novel. Why is it important?
Discuss you perception of the Kurdish city of Erbil. How is it that the city has escaped so much of the violence and destruction found in the rest of Iraq?
“When it came to dealing with women, Kurds were in most ways more advanced than the rest of Iraq”. How is the role of women different in Kurdish Iraq? Is the portrayal of women in the novel surprising?
Jalal is referred to as “a dervish…a holy man”. Discuss how he might be symbolic of the Kurdish people.
The attack on Halabja was a major formative event in Fahimah’s life. Discuss how other tragic events form our perspectives on the world and on our personal lives.
Thank you for taking time to read Jan Coffey Thriller Box Set. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend and much appreciated.
Many of Jan Coffey and May McGoldrick full novels are available in box sets.
Jan Coffey Suspense Box Set Volume One
Jan Coffey Thriller Box Set
Complete Book List as of 2016
Writing As May McGoldrick:
Scottish Relic Trilogy
Much Ado about Highlanders
Taming the Highlander
Tempest in the Highlands
Thanksgiving in Connecticut
Made In Heaven
Ghost of the Thames
Scottish Dream Trilogy
Dreams of Destiny
Captured Dreams
Borrowed Dreams
Secret Vows
The Re
bel
The Promise
Tess and the Highlander
Highland Treasure Trilogy
The Firebrand
The Enchantress
The Dreamer
Flame
The Intended
Macpherson Trilogy
Beauty of the Mist
Heart of Gold
Angel of Skye
Thistle and The Rose
Arsenic and Old Armor)
Writing As Jan Coffey:
Road Kill
Mercy
Aquarian
Blind Eye
The Puppet Master
The Janus Effect
Cross Wired
Silent Waters
Five in a Row
Tropical Kiss
Fourth Victim
Triple Threat
Twice Burned
Trust Me Once
And for everyone who asks how we write together:
Marriage of Minds
Writing Exercises for twenty-first century:
Step Write Up
About the Author
Nikoo & Jim McGoldrick have spent their lives gathering material for their novels. Nikoo, a mechanical engineer, and Jim, who has a Ph.D. in sixteenth-century British literature, wrote their first May McGoldrick novel in 1994. Since then, they have taken their readers from the Highlands of Scotland to the mountains of Kurdistan in bestselling, award-winning historical romance and contemporary suspense novels under the names May McGoldrick and Jan Coffey.
www.NikooandJim.com
www.MayMcGoldrick.com
www.JanCoffey.com
You can contact us at [email protected]
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