Spanning continents and oceans, the novel Bête Brune (Brown Beast) by author Kim Hester tells the story of a female American diplomat who lives in a war-torn Middle Eastern country with a populace that hates Americans and despises women. As she confronts one ugly obstacle after another, she manages to build strength of character and courage to face the hostilities that surround her, all the while maintaining her sense of femininity and her love for her husband. She comes to excel as a diplomat and in enduring the unendurable and the many dangers of war and terrorism. This novel examines people who are seldom understood who populate the mysterious kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as the Fiji Islands, Paris, Washington, D.C., California, and Diego Garcia.