Summary

Chapter 1, “Mayya,” opens in the country of Oman in the late 1970s. Mayya is a young woman of marriageable age, and her favorite activity is sewing with her sewing machine. She has two younger sisters: Asma and Khawla. One day, the son of a local merchant asks to marry Mayya. Mayya’s father agrees to the marriage, and thus Mayya is not allowed to refuse. Mayya is scared and nervous at the prospect of marriage, but she obeys, and the wedding takes place. She then becomes pregnant by her husband, Abdallah. Mayya gives birth to a daughter and decides to name her London, after the English city. People find the choice strange, but Mayya ignores the detractors. Abdallah hesitantly accepts the choice, and the family returns to their home in the town of al-Awafi, Oman. Chapter 2, “Abdallah” (I), takes place several years in the...