In many ways it's a traditional will they?/won't they? story of two people who seem to have been fated to get together from birth, but the complicated web of family history which is bound up with the events of the civil war of 1971 make the outcome far from certain right up to the last page. Karachi itself is as much a character in the book as are Karim and Raheen's parents and friends. The difficulty of forming an honest and trusting relationship in a complex world is beautifully portayed.