Description

Book Synopsis
A Cambridge PhD student called Reem has gone missing in Egypt. Those close to her fear that her investigation into her family''s history in the Gulf has put her in danger. The trail leads back to Tehran in 1969, when diplomat Martin Wilcox Smith, frustrated by his career at the Foreign Office, looked for more lucrative opportunities in the region. Decades later, decisions taken by Martin and his charismatic wife Phoebe unexpectedly come home to roost: their niece takes in a Bahraini lodger who has reasons to question the immense wealth of the Wilcox Smiths, a quest shared with their daughter-in-law, a journalist who is determined to piece together what has happened to Reem. An evocative and engrossing story that travels between the Shah's Iran, modern Bahrain, London and the English countryside, Ceremony of Innocence explores one family''s ambition in the aftermath of empire and the establishment''s ruthless pursuit of power in the new world order.

Trade Review
[A] blend of English country house novel and international intrigue * Daily Mail *
Pulls you in from the first page... Wonderfully original and compelling * Observer *

Ceremony of Innocence

    Product form

    £13.49

    Includes FREE delivery

    RRP £14.99 – you save £1.50 (10%)

    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Sat 11 Jul 2026.

    A Hardback by Madeleine Bunting

    1 in stock

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of Ceremony of Innocence by Madeleine Bunting

      Publisher: Granta Books
      Publication Date: Publication Date: 01/07/2021
      ISBN13: 9781783787494, 978-1783787494
      ISBN10: 178378749X

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      A Cambridge PhD student called Reem has gone missing in Egypt. Those close to her fear that her investigation into her family''s history in the Gulf has put her in danger. The trail leads back to Tehran in 1969, when diplomat Martin Wilcox Smith, frustrated by his career at the Foreign Office, looked for more lucrative opportunities in the region. Decades later, decisions taken by Martin and his charismatic wife Phoebe unexpectedly come home to roost: their niece takes in a Bahraini lodger who has reasons to question the immense wealth of the Wilcox Smiths, a quest shared with their daughter-in-law, a journalist who is determined to piece together what has happened to Reem. An evocative and engrossing story that travels between the Shah's Iran, modern Bahrain, London and the English countryside, Ceremony of Innocence explores one family''s ambition in the aftermath of empire and the establishment''s ruthless pursuit of power in the new world order.

      Trade Review
      [A] blend of English country house novel and international intrigue * Daily Mail *
      Pulls you in from the first page... Wonderfully original and compelling * Observer *

      Recently viewed products

      © 2026 Book Curl

        • American Express
        • Apple Pay
        • Diners Club
        • Discover
        • Google Pay
        • Maestro
        • Mastercard
        • PayPal
        • Shop Pay
        • Union Pay
        • Visa

        Login

        Forgot your password?

        Don't have an account yet?
        Create account