A group of young Moroccan immigrants seeking a better life in Spain cross the Strait of Gibraltar on a lifeboat. When it capsizes near shore, it is everyone for themselves. The book chronicles the lives of four of the passengers: two men and two women, Murad, Aziz, Halima, with her three small children; and Faten, exploring their lives before the trip and why they chose the dangerous path of immigration.
Lalami has said she was inspired by an article in Le Monde about some Moroccan immigrants.[3]
