Narrator

The novel’s narrator and protagonist is an unnamed woman of about 30 years in age. Her parents are from Singapore, but she has lived most of her adult life in New York City. Her father recently died of a terminal illness, causing the narrator to feel relatively rootless as she grieved. On a whim, she applied for a job at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands. There, she has begun working as an interpreter in the Court. She finds the work challenging and emotionally straining, as she has to listen to many hours of testimony regarding terrible atrocities. She also finds herself feeling an involuntary sense of connection with the people for whom she translates, even if they are defendants who have likely committed the aforementioned atrocities.

Meanwhile, the narrator has formed a romantic connection with a local man named Adriaan. Adriaan is married, but...