The Sandbox (Paperback or Softback)

In the aftermath of an embarrassing attack against the Canadian Army in Afghanistan, desperate measures are needed to salvage their reputation.

Enter Captain Leslie McNabb, a coward with a family legacy of posthumously rewarded heroism.

He's assigned the task of creating the perception of success. The mission? Rebuild Ghunday, the Taliban-infested village responsible for the attack. The problem? The village only needs to be rebuilt because the Canadians destroyed it, and they don't want any more "help."

Ghunday's ancient rivals in Deh Sarak, a village on the other side of the river valley, look on with disbelief as their enemies receive lavish help from the Canadians. The fact that they already have a girl's school and comparatively progressive attitudes seem to count against them. Their solution? Become the Canadians' enemies so they too can be destroyed and rebuilt anew.

McNabb is stuck between the unreasonable demands of his superiors and the hostility of nearly everyone he meets. In the upside-down world of counterinsurgency, he tries to befriend his enemies while making enemies of his friends.

Is it still called paranoia when everyone is actually out to get you?