Tishtar runs a small legal practice in Melbourne where he has a new client, Habiba, who seeks to bring her orphan nieces to Australia from war-torn Somalia. He is also a migrant, having left the civil unrest in Iran to find a new life in a new country. As Tishtar becomes consumed with Habiba tales of war-torn Somalia, his own childhood memories return and he reflects on the time he spent at his grandmother house to escape the atrocities that unravelled post the Islamic Revolution. While at his grandmother house he comes to know Gretel, another lost soul who has experienced a community torn apart by division. Tishtar embarks on a journey in search of peace for Habiba, for Gretel, for himself.

"A novel" --Page [1] of cover. Incorrect ISBN description on title page verso. Verso erroneously lists this as a paperback edition. Includes bibliographical references.

Miles Franklin Longlist 2023