After an absence of more than 20 years, Sue leaves her well-organized life in Switzerland to return to her native Egypt and to visit her dying mother. As a young adult, Sue ran away from the eccentric aristocrat, but now she feels compelled to see her again – at least to draw a line under the matter.

Along her journey, which leads from Cairo to Alexandria, she comes upon some surprises, rediscovers her roots and is confronted with startling and painful memories. Sue frees herself from the ghosts of her past and, in the process, finds not just her mother, but also herself.