Mouawad tells the story of siblings Jeanne and Simon as they explore their mother Nawal's past, who fled from the war in the Middle East to the safety of the West. Nawal's last will assigns the twins the task of delivering two letters: one to their father, whom they believed to be dead, and the other to an unknown brother. Reluctantly, they embark on a journey to their mother's homeland. The search for their own roots leads them back into the collective tragedy of war.