In the days before the outbreak of war in Syria, a young Kurdish woman,
Zarrin, has brought shame on her family. She has paid a high price - as
is the way for such dishonour - and fearing for her life, she flees,
stumbling her way blindly to the border with Turkey, where she finds
herself amongst a growing tide of migrants in a refugee camp. There, a
son, Elend, is born - the product of her punishment. She makes her way
to Britain, scraping a living as best she can, but she is betrayed over
and over as she moves from job to job, living hand to mouth and
supporting her young son with what little she has. When her friend is
killed and the police arrive, she once more has to flee, moving away
from the city to find work as a vegetable picker, exploited,
unappreciated but, importantly, largely unnoticed. Then, at last, her
fortunes change. She joins a group of itinerant workers who travel the
waterways of England. With them, she finds happiness and companionship
at last. Elend grows strong and love beckons But her happiness is
crushed once again and, just as she has begun to find sanctuary,
Zarrin's safety is at risk once again.
