In a remote Egyptian village, a young doctor arrives to open a long-abandoned clinic. Recently released from prison for political dissent, he’s been exiled from Cairo to this dusty outpost. As he immerses himself among the myriad ailments of the impoverished villagers, from scorpion stings and boils to the debilitating effects of bilharzia, he is drawn to a young nurse who becomes a trusted companion and provides an emotional refuge from his traumatic past. Farah represents everything the city doctor thinks he wants and offers a chance to rebuild his life. But are her ambitions really in line with his? And if this is love, is redemption certain to follow?

In this absorbing novel, Qandil weaves together forbidden love, political corruption, and the clash between tradition and desire. The doctor’s world expands to include al-Jazya, the queen of a gypsy tribe who sees through his pretensions, and a menacing district chief of police reminding him that no one escapes the reach of authority.

Qandil’s novel evokes the beauties and cruelties of life in a small community on the edge of the Nile, as our doctor’s journey takes him through the muddy lanes of the village, the verdant fields of maize, and finally a grim quest in the haunting landscape of the White Desert—all the while struggling with an imperfect moral compass.