The book begins with the thoughts of the first-person narrator Nuri, the protagonist of the book. He is getting dressed and looking at his wife, Afra. She is blind. The dramatic first lines of the story are “I am scared of my wife’s eyes. She can’t see out and no one can see in” (1). Afra tells her husband that she has dreamt of bees and that she has pain behind her eyes. Nuri tells her they will see a doctor as soon as they get the papers. In the next section, Nuri reflects on the couple’s move from Aleppo, on the edge of the desert, to their current location, which is near the sea. He mentions messages on billboards that are unwelcoming to people like him and Afra. Nuri reflects on their fellow lodgers of different nationalities and mentions a removal center called Yarl’s Wood: “There are ten of us in this rundown B&B by the sea” (5). Gradually, it becomes clear that they are in England. Nuri dresses Afra and does her hair, which has been dyed blond. They are due to meet a social worker at 1 pm.