Andrew
Kaplan’s latest book, Homeland: Carrie’s Run
is based on the hit TV series. After reading these books
it becomes obvious that he should be writing the scripts.
This book is much more realistic and has the feel for a thriller
while keeping intact the essence of the characters. While
the series begins in 2011 this story takes place in Lebanon
during 2006.
He stated that this book came about when Harper Collins and
the studio decided to have a joint project to tie a book in
with the television series. Kaplan became the obvious choice
since he has written a similar series whose main character
is an independent operative, Scorpion, and he worked in AMAN,
Israel’s military intelligence. After gaining complete
control over the storylines he agreed to the assignment.
In all of his books, the Homeland and Scorpion series have
very believable characters, plots, and tactics. Carrie’s
Run begins when she attempts to hold a clandestine meeting
with a new contact, code-named Nightingale. Suspicious that
security has been compromised she barely escapes an ambush.
Because of a confrontation with the station chief she is sent
back to Langley. To prevent a terrorist plot she acts insubordinately
to uncover it and the connection between Nightingale and the
leader of Iraqi Al Qaeda leader, Abu Nazir. The sub-plot is
very interesting in that Kaplan reveals the compelling untold
backstories of the main character.
The book tells Carrie’s story of growing up in Maryland
and shows how she became a solitary figure. Kaplan portrayed
her as a long distance runner during Carrie’s college
years. “I decided to make that a metaphor since she
has a ‘long distance run’ to find the terrorist
plot in addition to her actual run for her life when she has
to escape the terrorists in Lebanon.”
Both series discuss the culture of the Middle East. In the
Homeland book he makes it very clear how women are subservient
figures with the quotes, “Many men in the Middle East
believed Western women were all sluts anyway,” and a
recruited asset’s “husband, Abbas, abused her
nonstop because she had painful endometriosis that prevented
her from having children… and had once beaten her so
badly with a tire iron.”
Kaplan commented, “I want to show how there is so much
deception going on and there is a need for our intelligence
community to find the truth. I also want to show in all my
books how that area of the world is very complicated. For
example in Scorpion Deception I show how the Iranians have
factions within factions who are fighting for power. I will
also show this in my next Homeland book when I have Carrie
travel to Syria for clues. Basically, there are two worlds.
On the outside, the one the world sees, there are the Mullahs,
women in chadors, and men shaking fists against America. Then
there is behind-the-curtain where everyone drinks Johnnie
Walker and women take off their rusaris and they watch American
television.”
Carrie’s Run is a very suspenseful political thriller
that can be enjoyed by readers, even if they do not watch
the “Homeland” TV series. Unlike this season this
novel’s plot is very realistic and riveting. The setting
of the Middle East, the tactics of the CIA operatives and
the examples of the Islamic atrocities are very believable.
Maybe in addition to writing gripping thrillers he can write
for the television series because they surely need good ideas
for plots.
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