We as humans all too often seek fulfillment from the fresh waters on the other side of the river. Marty Madison, In the Shadow, extricates himself from his humdrum existence opting for the fresher waters that inexorably pull him into life threatening torrents.

This story, though historical fiction, paints a reflection of the tenuous U.S. - Pakistani relationship and the long masking shadow that emanates not only from the Pentagon but from Islamabad and its culture of militarism and classism. The futures of both culturally divergent nations are tied to the eventual cessation of hostilities in Afgahnistan and the shrinking worldwide influence the U.S. will exercise on the world stage. Though In the Shadow paints a discomforting picture of greed and privilege gained from the grit of the common and the ordinary, an American policy of peace that mends the broken will secure rays of sunlight through the shadows of despair.