Two contrasting love stories, set in the nineteenth century, which celebrate female strength and determination to overcome adversity. At the tender age of eight, Djilfidan is stolen from her village and sold into slavery. After a long voyage she finds her self in the magical world of opulent palaces, Persian baths and lush plantations on the exotic spice island of Zanzibar. To survive, she must adapt. Sayyida Salme, the beloved daughter of the Sultan, refuses to live a quiet life behind closed doors. She secretly teaches herself to write and become inextricably linked to a power struggle for the throne. She falls deeply in love with a stranger but, if she is to follow her heart, she must flee her homeland forever.