The Cleansing of Mahommed

A cautionary tale of prejudice - and the redemptive power of soap
Based on a true story, this beautifully crafted novel gives a startling insight into how the seeds of terrorism are sown. Gool Mahommed worships Allah and Lifebuoy soap. In 1914, the young Afghan returns to Broken Hill, five years after he was sent back to his homeland by his mentor, Abdullah. A camel driver and mullah, Abdullah has learned through bitter experience that the edge of the Australian outback is not the place to be a foreigner. But Mahommed won't be discouraged - he has dreams of embracing all the habits of the quintessential English gentleman and, one day, owning a prosperous submarine shipping line. Alice Mercer, born and bred in Broken Hill, yearns for a new life somewhere more exotic. When she and Mahommed first cross paths, they are immediately drawn to one another. But the prejudice of others soon causes tensions between them, not to mention the outbreak of World War I. When a series of cruel acts against Mahommed and Abdullah drives them to despair, what follows is unthinkable ...

Chris McCourt was born and educated in Sydney. After a brief career as an actress, she joined Crawford Productions in Melbourne as a trainee script editor, and has since written for many celebrated Australian television dramas including GP, Fallen Angels, McLeod's Daughters, and All Saints. Currently, Chris is a writer on the coming ABC drama series The Doctor Blake Mysteries and is a regular writer on the hit series Packed to the Rafters. The Cleansing of Mahommed is her first novel. She lives in Balmain.

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