It tells the story of Ghalia, a young mother of two who, in the first chapter, leaves her restrictive husband. She tries to reclaim her freedom and her enjoyment of life, but encounters severe difficulties along the way. In the course of her struggle, we meet several other characters—Ghalia's husband, her sister and disabled nephew, a very intelligent but disadvantaged woman who works as a prostitute, and others—many of whom talk directly to the reader, telling their stories in the first person.[4]