The novel's events take place in the early 1980s, amidst a popular revolutionary movement very similar to what is happening in Syria today, projecting the events of the recent past onto the abhorrent present. It unfolds through a sweeping love story between a young man from Tartus and a young woman from Deir ez-Zor who meet at the University of Aleppo. Belonging to two different sects, they are united by a love that is indifferent to sectarian differences. The story attempts to liberate the younger generation from outdated customs and traditions, highlighting their aspirations for a happy life and a bright future for themselves and their homeland. It suggests that societal backwardness is rooted in the regime's oppression on one hand, and the exploitation of religion to silence and eliminate enlightened minds when they rebel on the other.

• Category: Stories/Novels
• Author: Fares Matar
• Publisher: Dar Fadaat
• Year of Publication: 2014
• Edition: First
• Number of Pages: 120