After more than 20 years, 10 countries and four continents, author Mariam Navaid Ottimofiore calls herself an “eternal expat.”
And every time she leaves a country, she writes a goodbye letter to it.
But this time, she decided to write an entire book instead.
“The Guilty Can’t Say Goodbye” is her unofficial love letter to Portugal, a place where guilt, secrets and the complexities of human relationships are all hidden beneath the surface of endless sunshine, broad smiles and water views.
NO ESCAPING ONE’S PAST
But when three expat women move their families to Portugal, desperately hoping for a fresh start, they soon realize there’s no escaping your past, no matter how far you travel.
Fatima Khan is a Pakistani writer with a gift for languages, a German husband, a 10-year-old daughter and a determination to escape her mother’s clutches. Kate Miller is a driven, no-nonsense U.S. diplomat who needs to get her way, even as her marriage flounders, and Abena Nyator is a warm and kind-hearted Ghanaian entrepreneur consumed with self-doubt.
Arriving in the alluring seaside town of Cascais, the women’s lives soon intertwine after meeting at their children’s international school.
No matter the country, culture or language, when you touch down on foreign soil, the yearning for identity and belonging is the same the world over.
As they each busy themselves with the task of finding familiarity in a foreign country and setting up new lives, they’re also preoccupied, trying to run from past lives.
But as they carefully reinvent themselves, their secrets continue to haunt them. Will they be forced to confront the ghosts of their pasts and risk unravelling their newly built lives?
Drawing on her own experiences as a global nomad, Ottimofiore brings authenticity and depth to her storytelling, capturing the true essence of expat life and multicultural identities.
YEARNING FOR IDENTITY AND BELONGING
From the bustling streets of Karachi to the vibrant neighborhoods of Lisbon, steamy Singapore, Houston, Copenhagen, Berlin, Dubai, Brighton and Ghana — no matter the country, culture or language, when you touch down on foreign soil, the yearning for identity and belonging is the same the world over.
“With The Guilty Can’t Say Goodbye, I wanted to explore the universal themes of longing and belonging against the backdrop of a multicultural world,” says Ottimofiore. “Through the journeys of Fatima, Kate and Abena, readers will embark on an emotional rollercoaster that traverses continents and delves deep into the human experience.”
Set against a colorful international backdrop, this novel is testament to the power of forgiveness, redemption and the enduring bonds of friendship.
And, one thing’s for sure: The Guilty Can’t Say Goodbye.
The book is available on Amazon.
