First published 2022
Zuhur sits in her dormitory at a British university, thinking about Bint Amir, the woman who raised her. Her grandmother died shortly after Zuhur left for England, leaving behind questions that span generations. Bint Amir was not Zuhur's blood relative, yet their connection ran deeper than family ties. As Zuhur navigates her isolation as a foreign student, memories surface of her grandmother's difficult past in Oman. The older woman faced circumstances that tested her survival and shaped her character. Zuhur's present loneliness mirrors her grandmother's historical struggles, creating parallel stories of two women separated by time but united by experience. Social hierarchies, economic pressures, and the complex desires of women weave through both timelines, revealing how the past continues to influence the present.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, parallel-narratives
Setting: Britain, Oman
Period: 21st-century
160 pages · Paperback · Scribner UK