A heart-wrenching story from the international bestselling author of "The Kite Runner." On a moonlit beach, a father cradles his sleeping son in his arms as they wait for the sunrise and the arrival of a boat. He tells his boy about the long summers of his childhood, reminiscing about his grandfather's house in Syria, the rustling of the olive trees in the wind, the bleating of his grandmother's goat, and the clanging of her cooking pots. He also recalls the vibrant city of Homs with its crowded alleys, its mosque, and the large souk, in the days before the sky rained bombs and they had to flee. When the sun rises, they and the people around them will gather their belongings and embark on a perilous journey across the sea in search of a new home.