The Contract: A Novel

A hard-driving designer seeks acclaim by developing a Middle Eastern museum only to discover the project’s real value is not what she imagined.

Joanna and Ev have been partners for ten years—in business and in love—when one of the only women in government in the Middle East invites their firm to design a children’s museum in Riyadh. Jo sees a chance to solidify her name in the design world, and help Saudi girls along the way, in the venture. Her husband, however, has no desire to work in a vigorously policed society; he prefers to remain in his workshop, fashioning gadgets for museum displays. Jo’s sister and young protégé share his doubts, but Ev accedes to Jo’s wishes. The process of bidding on the job soon throws their home office into chaos and challenges their long-held assumptions about the value of their work—and marriage. If they get the job, will their partnership survive the strain?