First published 2019
In the Omani village of al-Awafi, three sisters face different paths to womanhood. Mayya enters marriage nursing a broken heart. Asma accepts her husband out of obligation rather than passion. Khawla rejects every suitor, holding onto hope for her beloved who left for Canada. As the sisters build their adult lives, Oman itself undergoes dramatic change. The traditional society that once relied on slavery gives way to new forms of wealth and social mobility. Through their extended family connections, the sisters witness this transformation across all levels of society, from former slave families struggling with poverty to those capitalizing on emerging opportunities. Each woman must find her place not only within marriage and family expectations but within a nation redefining itself. Their personal choices about love, duty, and independence reflect the broader tensions of a culture caught between its past and an uncertain future.
Genres: family-life, historical-fiction, african-literature, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-secrets, found-family
Setting: Al-Awafi, Canada, Oman
Period: 21st-century
250 pages · Kindle Edition · Catapult