In the sweltering city of Kabul, amidst ruin and despair, two men and two women search for meaning in their lives: an uprooted urbanite, a lawyer barred from her profession, a jailer slowly losing himself amid public executions, and a wife battling a severe illness. Through their journey for human dignity, they endure the torment of a nation ravaged by wars and the madness of its people, handed over to the enchantments of spiritual leaders and the tyranny of Taliban oppression. Yet, even when despair seemed absolute, love refused to surrender and called upon a miracle. But what is the value of a miracle in a land where joys are fiercer and more terrifying than death by stoning? In this remarkable novel, considered an ode to women, author Yasmina Khadra vividly unveils the complexity of behavior in Islamic societies torn between heritage and modernity.

Publishing house: Dar Al Farabi Publishing and Distribution

Number of Pages : 200

Year of publication : 2007