Hope

Despite the injustice and despair that every character faces, there is an overwhelming sense of hope. Huda and Abu Sayeed encourage Nour to see the good in the world. The storyteller and the one-legged man seek happiness despite their circumstances. This all culminates in Nour herself placing her faith in God and truth that he will lead her family to a bright future. Hope gives the downtrodden a reason to fight, but losing it can be devastating.

First, the storyteller and the one-legged man are both minor characters who directly represent this them. When Nour meets the storyteller, she is left with a memory that frames every experience Nour has in the novel. When she asks him to tell her a story, he says “I used to love the tales of jinn and the deeps of princes. My heart beat for all that once was-the lovers...