In an unnamed Middle Eastern city, four women from different social and cultural backgrounds tell their story. There is Suha, an educated Lebanese woman brought to the desert by her husband; Tamr, who must fight against male rule to educate herself; and, Suzanne, captivated by the men and the mystery of the Arabian desert.

'One of the finest Arab novelists of her generation' Financial Times 'A small masterpiece in the psychological confines of the modern harem' Newsweek 'Al-Shaykh goes where few Arab writers have gone before: not just into a world of women but into their sexuality' Economist In an unnamed Middle Eastern city, four women from different social and cultural backgrounds tell their story. There is Suha, an educated Lebanese woman brought to the desert by her husband; Tamr, who must fight against male rule to educate herself; Suzanne, captivated by the men and the mystery of the Arabian desert; and Nur, in fierce pursuit of lovers (male and female) and foreign adventures - but her husband has her passport. All four women struggle in a society where women cannot drive a car, walk in the streets unveiled, or travel without male permission. It is a society where sex, due to its constraints, becomes an obsession. These women are treated to every luxury except that which they truly desire - freedom. _________________________________ 'A complex and demanding story of women in the Gulf - oppresed, manipulated, sexually tormented and confused ... breathtakingly frank' Edward Said