In this novel, the narrator, Khaled, is a middle-aged man wandering the streets of London just before the Arab Spring. He is reuniting with his old friend, Hosam Zowa, a restless spirit and former promising writer who has been on the move for years. Khaled reflects on their friendship and his own journey as he navigates the heart of London.
Khaled’s upbringing in Benghazi, Libya, is marked by his father’s secret hatred for Colonel Qaddafi, a regime he documented in a hidden history book. Inspired by two pivotal events, Khaled’s path leads him to the UK. The first is the influence of a Middle Eastern presenter on the BBC World Service who read a story by the young writer Hosam Zowa, who would later be executed by Qaddafi’s hit squad in London. The second is a book about the nuances of translation by an Edinburgh University professor. Khaled is accepted to study at Edinburgh, and his departure in 1980 marks the last time he sees his family.
At Edinburgh, Khaled observes that Libyan students fall into three categories: “writers” who spy for the Libyan government, “readers” pursuing academic goals, and the well-connected “rest” seeking a carefree university experience. Khaled befriends another “reader,” Mustafa al Touny, and they clandestinely discuss Libyan politics, eventually deciding to travel to London for a protest against the regime. They only share their plans with Khaled’s Lebanese friend, Rana.
During the demonstration in London, Qaddafi’s men open fire on the crowd, killing a British policewoman and gravely injuring both Mustafa and Khaled. Mustafa sustains minor injuries, while Khaled is shot twice. He undergoes a lengthy recovery and, fearing reprisals, leaves Edinburgh University and hides out in London. With the help of the English professor who had inspired him, Khaled transfers to Birkbeck College, is granted political asylum, and starts anew. He conceals the truth from his family, crafting false narratives about his life in Edinburgh and his job in London, only revealing the truth years later when his father believes him to be a hero of the resistance.
Khaled becomes close friends with Hosam Zowa, whose story was read on the radio when Khaled was in high school. Zowa, also a political exile from a notable family, finds himself unable to write and becomes a nomad, moving from London to Ireland and Paris. Khaled is about to meet Zowa one last time as he prepares to move to California.
The middle section of the novel delves into the emotional toll on the three friends as years pass without returning home or seeing their families. Khaled cannot commit to Hannah, his longtime girlfriend, who eventually leaves him and starts a family with another man. Zowa has a partner, Claire, but suffers a breakdown when his father publicly denounces him, ending his writing career. Mustafa, seemingly the most successful of the trio, yearns for freedom and his home country more than the others. Mustafa and Khaled remain friends as they navigate life’s changes, while Zowa comes and goes.
The novel progresses to the present, illustrating how the three friends respond to the rapidly changing events in the Middle East as the Arab Spring unfolds. The regime teeters on the brink, and Mustafa returns to Libya to join the resistance, quickly gaining hero status on social media. Zowa also goes back to fight alongside Mustafa, participating in the capture of Qaddafi.
Khaled, however, remains in London, unable to return despite the barriers dissipating. He reconnects with Hannah, now divorced, and his family implores him to come home. Zowa becomes a government minister, while Mustafa continues fighting rogue forces attempting to restore one-party rule. They live their idealism, while Khaled is stuck in his life, neither in Libya nor fully present in London. The novel concludes with Khaled’s resolution to go back, but he remains in his house at the last page.
The story navigates the intricate friendships, sacrifices, and choices made by Khaled, Zowa, and Mustafa in the backdrop of political turmoil, exile, and personal struggles, painting a vivid picture of their lives and the impact of historical events on their identities.