Kabul, 1978: Sitara Zamani lives a privileged life in Afghanistan's thriving capital. Her world is shattered when communists assassinate the president and Sitara's entire family. Smuggled out of the palace by a guard named Shair, Sitara finds her way to the home of a female American diplomat who adopts her and raises her in America. Sitara takes on a new name - Aryana Shepherd - and eventually becomes a surgeon.
New York, 2008: Aryana's world is rocked again when Shair appears in her examination room. Seeing him awakens Aryana's desire for answers. She embarks on a quest that takes her back to Kabul and through shadowy memories of the world she loved and lost.