In the Eye of the Sun is a story about home, a story about enduring ties to family. Soueif delves into the meanings of home, exile, and the various types of relationships an individual has in society through the illuminating portrayals of Asya, her family, and her friends.

The heroine's parents belong to the elite; both are professors at Cairo University. The sophisticated pair have set high standards for themselves as well as their children.

Within their slightly atypical family, boys and girls are equally entitled and strongly urged to pursue higher education. Based on their education and standards, the family ideology blends Eastern and Western customs and manners. Although the governing body of behavioral rules is not drawn from the Koran, traces of religion as well as Egyptian custom are seen here and there throughout the narration and specifically in the parts dealing with Asya's friendship with...