Set in the late 1910s, this book tells the story of a conservative and traditional Egyptian family coping with societal changes imposed by the British and WWI - as well as family problems (some typical, some not). The characters are richly painted in the historic Cairo neighborhood in which they live - so much so that I was motivated to find streets mentioned in the story on Google Maps (Yes they still exist in Cairo) and view them in relation to the events in the story. It's the first book of the author's well-known trilogy.