Zeina Abirached recalls the everyday life, the deprivations, and experiences of her childhood during the Lebanese Civil War in loving and humorous detail, from her brother's collection of grenade shrapnel, the food shortages, and Wagner's Valkyrie drowning out the sounds of battle, to dancing to 80s pop music videos, her first short haircut, and how she got her braces. She portrays both the menacing war situation and the nurturing environment of family life.