The Bitter Orange Tree tells the story of Omani student Zuhur at a British university as she reflects on her relationship with her grandmother, who passed away just after Zuhur left the country. Bint Amir is not, we learn, related to Zuhur by blood - but by an emotional bond far stronger; as the historical narrative of the grandmother's challenged circumstances unfurls, so too does the story of Zuhur's lonely and unfulfilled present, one narrative segueing into another as social status, wealth, desire and female agency are explored in a literary tour de force.
