It is a winner of the Al-Naqid prize and the first book by an Arab author to have a main character who is homosexual.

The audience learns that Khalil is romantically attracted to Naji, as he repeatedly secretly admires him.

As Khalil cleans up glass, we learn that Naji and his mother claim that they plan to come back.

When Khalil goes to the scene days later, he finds that it has seemingly healed and that life there is back to normal.

Nayif comes over in order to tell him that Naji was killed because he was an agent for a group responsible for attacks.

He sleeps all day and spends all night listening to other people's problems on FM radio shows.

His daughter, Zahrah, has a crush on Khalil, who is pleased to be loved despite the fact that he feels little attraction to her.

The narrative goes on to describe Khalil's own struggles to form his political views and gain acceptance with the other young men his age.

This struggle is paralleled by Youssef, who comes to Khalil's apartment to ask his advice on whether or not he should join a local militia.

He goes in for an interview and embarrasses himself by saying things that make him seem radical despite his lack of involvement in politics.

As Khalil is suffering emotionally from Youssef's death, he becomes sick and starts coughing up blood.

Nayif tells him that one of his political friends, called The Gentlemen, wants to clear out an abandoned apartment in Khalil's building in order to house his mother.

Khalil takes a taxi ride to the hospital to have himself examined as he had acute abdominal pain.

He accidentally drives up to a roadblock and Khalil and the other passengers are interrogated and nearly killed by armed men.

The Brother begins inviting him on business dealings, which involve the buying and selling of drugs and weapons.

On one walk back to apartment after a deal Khalil is accidentally assaulted by the Brother's men, who apologize and offer to take him home.

The women in the novel are portrayed as lucky in one sense as they, unlike Khalil, do not have to pick a side in political conflicts.