From the International Booker Prizeāwinning author and translator ofĀ Celestial Bodies, a new novel about two Omani women whose unbreakable connection is forged as nursing sistersāa bond considered akin to that of a birth sibling.
Ghazaala is devastated when her friend Asiya is forced to leave their small mountainside village following a tragic circumstance. It's a separation that haunts her into adulthood, and she never gives up on finding a love that might replace the bond they shared.
Ghazaala soon falls for a young violinist, completely surrendering herself to his charm, despite her parents' opposition. His position in the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra brings the young couple to Muscat, where Ghazaala enrolls in university while balancing the duties of a new wife, caring for her husband, their home, and before long, their twin boys.
During this time, Ghazaala grows close to Harir, who recounts the story of their deepening friendship over the span of ten years in the pages of her diary. The elusive, ghostly existence of Asiya exerts a force over both of their lives, yet neither Ghazaala nor Harir are aware of the connection.
From the brilliant mind of Jokha Alharthi comes a tale of childhood friendship, and how its significanceāand lossācan be recalibrated at different stages of life.