{"id":4509,"date":"2015-10-05T17:57:20","date_gmt":"2015-10-05T17:57:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sheilaflaherty.com\/eastofmecca\/?page_id=4509"},"modified":"2026-04-14T20:30:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T20:30:09","slug":"east-of-mecca-a-novel-by-sheila-flaherty","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sheilaflaherty.com\/eastofmecca\/","title":{"rendered":"East of Mecca – A Novel by Sheila Flaherty"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n \"East \n <\/div>\n \n \n
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\n East of Mecca <\/h1>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n
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\n by Sheila Flaherty <\/h3>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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This moving and unforgettable novel, East of Mecca<\/em>, tells a timely, harrowing, and heartbreaking story of love and betrayal, the transcendent power of sisterhood, and the ultimate price of oppression.<\/p>\n

Driven by financial desperation, Sarah and Max Hayes are seduced by promises of a glamorous expatriate lifestyle in Saudi Arabia. Sarah surrenders her career when Max accepts a prestigious job with Ocmara Oil Company and they relocate their family to the shores of the Persian Gulf.<\/p>\n

Locked inside the heavily-guarded Ocmara compound, Sarah becomes invisible within the male-dominated, fundamentalist, Islamic Kingdom, which is governed by sharia law. Gradually, she is drawn into a clandestine, illicit friendship with Yasmeen, a Muslim Saudi woman. Together they find freedom beneath the veils and behind the walls of the Saudi women\u2019s quarters\u2014until inconceivable events force Sarah to make life-or-death decisions.<\/p>\n

Told with riveting authenticity and exquisite detail, East of Mecca explores gender apartheid through the abuse of absolute power with an elegant balance of cultural nuance and moral inquiry. Long after you have turned the last page, you will be haunted by the vivid characters and powerful scenes illuminating this tour de force.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Accolades<\/h2> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\n Nautilus Book Award Winner <\/h6>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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East of Mecca<\/em><\/strong> has been awarded a Nautilus Book Award<\/a>\u00a0in Fiction for 2015.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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\n The Best of 2016 <\/h3>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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East of Mecca<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0was selected as one of the best self-published books of 2016<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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\n Literary Titan Book Award <\/h3>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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East of Mecca<\/strong><\/em> received a five-star review<\/a> and a Gold Award<\/a> from Literary Titan.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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\n Socially Relevant Film Festival 2018 <\/h3>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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East of Mecca <\/em><\/strong>is a finalist in the Socially Relevant Film Festival 2018<\/a> scriptwriting competition.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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“My skirt dragged in the water, clinging to my legs, making each step a struggle. In the distance a woman covered in black stood at the edge of the ocean, a pair of white running shoes dangling from one hand. It looked like she was gazing at the horizon as I had been, but I couldn\u2019t see her eyes behind her veil. It was just how she stood\u2014stock-still, facing east. I watched her as I emerged from the water… As we walked along the shore, I turned back, searching. The Saudi woman was gone.”<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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– Excerpt from Chapter 5<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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About\u00a0Sheila Flaherty<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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I am an award winning writer and clinical psychologist who specializes in helping people navigate life changes with grace and ease. I hold a Bachelor\u2019s degree in Psychology and a Master\u2019s in Behavioral Sciences from the University of Houston. I earned my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago.<\/p>\n

Growing up an \u201cArmy brat\u201d and as a young woman I lived in numerous places in the United States and overseas, including Germany and Singapore. My life experiences and education have contributed to my goal to be a kind, intuitive, and life-transforming therapist. I\u2019ve had a thriving counseling practice in the Chicago area for many years, except for one year spent in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n

I have always been passionately drawn to righting injustice. While living in Saudi, my compassion led me to practice counseling secretly, helping to empower the American and Saudi women I met. My experiences fueled my passion for writing\u00a0East of Mecc<\/em>a<\/em><\/strong>, a novel about women living within the confines of a violent, oppressive, male-dominated society.<\/p>\n

In screenplay format, East of Mecca<\/em> <\/strong>has placed in numerous screenwriting competitions including the Nicholl Fellowship, Big Break, BlueCat, and Table Read My Script: London. East of Mecca<\/em><\/strong> was a Finalist in the 2018 Socially Relevant Film Festival in New York, a Gold Finalist in the 2016 Beverly Hills Screenplay Competition, and a Finalist in the 2005 CineStory Screenwriting Competition. <\/em>In 2017, I was selected as a Top 50 Writer in ISA Fast Track Fellowship VI.<\/p>\n

East of Mecc<\/em>a <\/em><\/strong>was awarded a Silver Nautilus Book Award in Fiction for 2015, is IndieReader Approved with a 5-star review, was named one of the best self-published books of 2016 by IndieReader, and one of the best self-published books by Rebels Market in 2018. I have been awarded numerous residencies at the Ragdale Foundation for my work in fiction.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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MY CORE VALUES<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n