Set against the background of post-1967 Lebanon, this novel caused a sensation in the Arab world because of its frank and realistic descriptions of Lebanon's and particularly Lebanese women's problems.

Tragedy awaits Tamina, who is drawn by the lure of the city to leave her Shia Muslim village for the university in Beirut. Injured in a student demonstration, she is rescued by a young Maronite, Hani, who speaks convincingly of the dangers of anarchy and revolution. But once recovered, she is dazzled and seduced by the revolutionary journalist Ramzi.

Disillusionment follows. Tamina eventually returns to Hani, to her studies, and to her work with the poorest of Lebanese and with Palestinian refugees. The tragic climax of the book foreshadows the terrible events in Lebanon in 1975.