Two lovers are destined to meet in the city of Srinagar. Roohi is a beautiful, spirited girl who is haunted by dreams of a mysterious man she believes is her true love. Faiz is a young papier-mache artist on the cusp of painting his masterpiece, the Falaknuma. When fate conspires to bring them together one windswept evening, both fall irrevocably in love.

But it is the 1990s. Kashmir is simmering with political strife and rebellion, and it is only a matter of time before Srinagar is engulfed in the gathering storm. Before they know it, the city they call home is besieged and erupts in violence, threatening everything the two lovers hold dear. An age-old tale of love, war, duty and choice, The Book of Gold Leaves is as devastatingly resonant as it is beautifully written.