The plot of this novel draws upon folkloric resources dealing with unwitting sins, destructive lust and scorching dreams. Grandma Sultana marries the widower Mishael after the death of his barren first wife. When her predecessor’s mother sends a set of copper dishes as a present, Grandma Sultana is suspicious. And she is right – they put a curse on the family. Feeling that they are ruled by incomprehensible powers, they do not reject the irrational but try to placate it. Curses demand antidotes and omens must be interpreted. Among the recurring portents are the scented jasmine blossoms, and, inevitably, Sultana’s salted biscuits.
