Betrayal and Other Family Matters by Felix Bearden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

All of us know about how men working in military service of peace keeping nations strive in foreign lands on behalf of their country and sometimes lose their lives for their country. But what if their own country uses one of them as pawn against the terrorist organizations of the enemy country in order to protect their image in the eyes of the world?

This is one such story of a happy American family who served in the Marines wing of the American Army. This family, unknowingly get entangled in a suspected crime against American Government due to their Muslim neighbors who one day suddenly disappear from the neighborhood and surface somewhere in Afghanistan, due to their close ties with the Taliban. Since then this innocent American family fall under strict surveillance of the FBI. The family gives refuge to the children of the Muslim family who still oppose the ideology of the Taliban and escape to USA and in the process discover a dangerous plot of the American Government to negotiate peace terms with the terrorist outfit using one of their family friend’s son as a pawn, an American soldier, under custody of the Taliban. The head of the family, Colonel Ben cleverly rescues the soldier with the help of his friend in Afghanistan and also simultaneously fixes the vices of FBI along with the State Government in negotiating a deal not to harass them in future. One must read the book to know how he did it by using latest technology toys. Though most of the story is in USA, the tough conditions of war and lives of people, living in Afghanistan is once again exposed.

A beautiful story of a clever family who work together to get out of a serious suspicion, harassment from the FBI and at the same time teach an astounding lesson to the Government as to what it might lead to if it uses innocent servicemen as pawns for personal gains.

I would recommend this book to readers in order to salute the sacrifices of servicemen in various armies of countries and to know how their parents and well wishers react if such dedicated lives are used for selfish motives by their own Governments.

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