Missionaries

"Missionaries" by Phil Klay is a gripping novel that delves into the aftermath of America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Set in Colombia, the book follows four lives that become entangled as they navigate the violence and power struggles of the region. Mason, a U.S. Army Special Forces medic, and Lisette, a foreign correspondent, are drawn to Colombia and the adrenaline of war despite their past traumas. Meanwhile, Juan Pablo, Mason's counterpart in the Colombian military, and Abel, a lieutenant in a local militia, grapple with their own perspectives and loyalties in the midst of chaos. As they navigate a landscape where drug cartels, militias, and the state are blurred, a power vacuum emerges, leaving all the characters vulnerable to forces they cannot control. With geopolitical sophistication and powerful insights into the human heart, "Missionaries" is an electrifying artistic reckoning with the unpredictable and devastating consequences of America's global projection of power.