Zuhour from Oman is a student at a British University. As she tries to work out how to fit in with her new environment she consistently remembers events involving family that have occurred now and in the past.
The main story that haunts her is that of her grandmother, Bint Amir, who is not actually her grandmother but was adopted into Zuhour's family. Bint Amir's story appears throughout the book in segments concluding in the final section. It is Bint Amir who looks after Zuhour's father, Mansour,when he is a boy. She also plants and tends the bitter orange tree in the family's garden.
Zuhour also reflects on the situation of her older sister, Sumayaa, whose personality dramatically changes after her marriage to a man who turns out to be an abusive partner.
Zuhour's fellow class mates include Pakistani sisters Kuhl and Suroor who are also struggling to adapt to family expectations when faced with other possibilities. Suroor loves a fellow student Imran but her parents would never approve of the relationship because of his parent's low social status.
During the novel Zuhour reflects on relationships in her family and how decisions are often based on tradition and expectations on how people should behave, especially to preserve the honour and status of the family.
In this novel there is no consistent narrative, just a collection of memories and accounts of events which together portray the concerns, remorse and regret experienced by Zahour. At times I found it confusing trying to keep track of what was happening, especially as so many of the names of characters are similar. However the author succeeds in providing the reader with a glimpse of life and expectations, especially for women, from a different culture.
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