A masterful work of art and storytelling, it is ultimately about the power of love to overcome hardship. I will not soon forget Zam and Dodola. It is as if I have been privy to the secrets of their lives in a fictional area of Mesopotamia. Thompson mixes the ancient world with the present day, stories from the Quran and the Bible, and the earthiness and sensuality of the lives he depicts. His arabic calligraphy is beautiful, and I regret that I didn't realise there were notes to some of the pages with translation and source information at the end of the book, until I was about halfway through. 
 I was sad as I reached the end. I wanted to know more about their lives after the last page. 
 Highly recommended.