The novel provides intimate insights into the life of a Kurdish mother named Güllü and her son Mustafa who migrated to Sweden in the late 1970s. Through their conversations, the reader learns about Güllü's experience as a migrant woman and her efforts to build a life in a new country. Central to Mustafa's story is the guilt he feels for being ashamed of his mother during his childhood before realizing how little he actually knew about her. The tensions between generations regarding cultural identity are also explored, with some migrants clinging tightly to their heritage while others become more assimilated over time.