This book tells the story of a group of students and a new teacher at an elite private school in Canada. It is set in the 1980s and conjures up that era.

Zahabiya is a recent arrival and is part of a group of students from ethnic minority backgrounds who are often targeted by another girl, Leesa. She is already struggling to find stable ground after her father's recent remarriage, from which she has escaped to this school.

Amidst all this, Zahabiya is now trying to find her place, put off by the negativity of her roommate Mei, and feeling unsure of how to navigate her crush on one of the boys.

The new teacher Nahla Naim has her own problems, and is also trying to navigate her way, having come in as the replacement for the long time French teacher Mademoiselle LeBlanc, who has passed away.

All these characters, including Leesa who is hiding a big secret that is discovered by the others, must find a measure of inner peace and a way of managing the challenges they face in their external environment. And perhaps, just perhaps, they can find that way together...

This is an absorbing story well told. Farzana Doctor is a gifted storyteller, and brings alive her characters. Readers will empathise with the plight of Nahla, Zahabiya, and even, to some extent, Leesa. All in all, this novel is worth a read.