Amal’s House

Most of the novel’s preliminary action occurs at Amal’s modest house, which backs onto Malik’s sugarcane fields and orange groves. Mehnaz gives birth to Lubna in the small family home, confining herself to her bedroom for several days afterwards. The house contains only a few rooms, so Amal and her sisters must share. Omar and Parvin, Amal’s family servants, live in the shed behind Amal’s house. Amal thinks of nothing but home while serving at the Khan estate and wonders how she ever took her chaotic but humble life there for granted.

Amal’s School

Amal’s all-girls school cannot accommodate everyone attending. Each girl must share her desk with one other student. Amal describes how the building lacks heat or air conditioning and therefore becomes frigidly cold in the winter and unbearably hot in the summer. The school features a...