In a tent at the foot of a mountain in Palestine, the storyteller and her twin sister are born. Her parents name her Qamar, or Moon, and her sister Shams, or Sun. Their village suffers from isolation, and from a mysterious curse -- females are no longer born there. When her parents try to break the spell, their lives are cut short, and Qamar and her sister are left to fend on their own. And so, Qamar decides to pursue her mother and father's dream of discovering the world -- its people and places, and sets out on a journey, on caravans and ships, across empires.

Translation of: Rihlat 'Ajeebah fi al-Bilad al-Gharibah.