Claire and Gabrielle Sahli are sisters growing up in 1920s Cairo. Of Levantine descent, they occupy a precarious position in Egypt's increasingly nationalist world. With the early death of their father, the sisters find themselves dependent on others as they attempt to maintain their position in a volatile society. Over the decades, against the backdrop of anti-British sentiment, civil unrest, and Nasser's socialist rule, the Sahlis cling to their homes and livelihoods in Cairo. Tracing the lives of Claire and Gabrielle from childhood to old age, Anne-Marie Drosso vividly portrays the bittersweet relationship of two intelligent, complex women forced to adapt, each in her own way, to the unexpected.