The novel begins with a fishing boat of Moroccan immigrants crossing the Strait of Gibraltar. There is Murad, a young man; Halima, a woman with three children; Faten, a young woman in a headscarf; Aziz, another young man; a greasy, leering man; and others. They are captained by Rahal, who, to their shock, abandons them when they are not yet to the Spanish shore. They did not expect to have to swim, but they are tossed overboard when someone upsets the boat.
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Murad does not have much of a life in Morocco. He is educated but never found a job, and lives with his mother and two siblings. It seems like everyone else has something going for them, but all he can do is try to ply the tourist guide trade. Eventually he decides, with prompting from Rahal, to find the money to travel to Spain.
The journey is unsuccessful for him; he is captured by the Spanish Civil Guard and deported. He returns to the tourist guide trade but is relieved when he gets a job as a salesman at a shop. He realizes he has spent so much time living in the future that he does not have a life now. His section ends with him deciding to tell stories of his own, not simply repeating those he’s heard before.
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Aziz is a young married man planning to go to Spain to get enough money to bring home and support his family. His wife, Zohra, comes from a family who does not think much of the jobless Aziz. Everyone seems to be either hesitant about or totally against Aziz going, but he will not be swayed. One of the most ardent critics is Lahcen, a close friend. Lahcen does his best to convince Aziz to stay, assuring him that he will find work. Aziz eventually realizes Lahcen is gay and might have feelings for him.
Aziz survives the trip to Spain and is not caught. He first works on a farm and then gets a job as a bus boy. He makes a little money but it is not quite what he had dreamed. When he returns to Morocco, it is with less money and success than he had hoped for, and he has to tell Zohra that he needs to return for a few more years. He tells her he will start the paperwork to bring her over, and while she is initially hesitant, she soon realizes this is the right thing for a wife to do.
However, Aziz is not thrilled when Zohra agrees to come, and sees that they have grown apart. On the day of his departure for Spain, the status of their relationship is ambiguous. Zohra can tell he does not really want her to come, and she knows she would be out of place in Spain. For his part, Aziz feels lighter leaving her behind.
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Halima’s husband Maati beats her when he gets drunk. After one such beating, she goes to her mother, Fatiha, who is more conservative and traditional and thus thinks Halima needs to learn how to handle her husband better. Halima is frustrated and wants a divorce, but she agrees to try a powder from a sorceress her mother recommends. The powder does not curb Maati’s bad behavior, especially after he loses his job, and since the judge she seeks to move the divorce forward turns out to be less than trustworthy, Halima decides it is time to take her three children—Mouna, Farid, and Amin—across the Strait to Spain.
Halima almost drowns but Farid saves her life. They are deported back to Morocco, where Halima refuses to return to Maati and instead takes a room in a slum. People begin talking about Farid, saying he is a saint; a neighbor even asks for a blessing. Halima is skeptical, but when a comment from Farid about wishing Maati had given her a divorce when she asked is followed by Maati actually showing up and throwing divorce papers at her, she is left wondering if there is something to that.
Halima’s story ends with her doing her best to make a home for her children, as well as taking care of her sick mother. The narrator says a light catches her in a way that makes it appear that she is the saint.
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Faten’s pre-crossing story is told through the lens of Larbi Amrani, a notable Moroccan education official. He does not like how his daughter Noura, who is at university in Morocco before going to NYU, has befriended the Islamic fundamentalist Faten. Noura starts wearing a scarf and articulating radical beliefs, and Larbi and his wife Salma fear for her future. At his wits’ end, Larbi helps orchestrate Faten’s failure at the university.
We also learn later that Faten came from a poor family and was in trouble for making a critical comment about King Hassan. Her imam suggested she leave so she did so.
Faten survives the crossing but is only allowed into the country after being solicited by one of the guards. This begins her life as a prostitute in Spain. She makes enough to survive, but is not happy. She rooms with another Moroccan immigrant, Betoul, but the two are not friends. However, at the end of her story, Faten decides to cook for Eid and invites Betoul to join her.
