In the most rugged, unforgiving terrain, a woman's heart is the most resilient of travelers.

Growing up Muslim in the male-dominated world of southern India, three young girls navigate the shifting, often heartbreaking world of what is expected of them, and what they expect from life itself.

Rabia sneaks off to the movies and is beaten by her mother for this transgression. Zohra struggles to raise a daughter who will conform to what society dictates. Firdaus is beautiful, married off to a wealthy suitor, and about to change her life with one fateful—and dangerous—decision.

Salma writes an evocative novel of families coming together and falling apart, of small mutinies with enormous consequences, of friendships that stand the test of time, and of the suffocating world and indefatigable spirits of rebellious women.