The first thing I learnt about this book is that it is the first Omani book translated into English. I don't mean to sound harsh, but perhaps that's the most interesting thing about it. Really, it isn't meant as a dismissal of the book: the author is very skillful at painting a picture of life in this small village on the verge of the desert, and the ways it changes over the year. The book is a sort of family saga, told through short fragments, with each chapter focusing on a different member, in a non-chronological order. I was struck by the women characters in the book, who are very well-rounded, victims of their circumstances but incredibly strong.