This modern literary masterpiece follows the interwoven destinies of five women-including a wealthy middle-aged housewife, a prostitute and a school teacher-as they arrive by different paths to live together in an abundant garden on the outskirts of Tehran.

Drawing on elements of Islamic mysticism and recent Iranian history , this unforgettable novel depicts women escaping the narrow confines of family and society , and imagines their future living in a world without men.