In newly emancipated Iraq, a talented Jewish girl is caught at the crossroads between freedom and tradition to define what home and family truly mean.

Baghdad, 1946. Esther, a romantic young woman born in Mandatory Iraq, never knew her birthmother who passed away when she was just seven years old. The eldest of three siblings, she spends her days raising her younger brothers, Zion and Salman, under the watchful eyes of their cold stepmother. The only comfort she finds lies in the rich fabrics of the great city markets, sewing dresses in Western fashion brought in by the British.

Seam by seam, Esther starts to make a name for herself as a dressmaker. When the handsome Mordi and his mother move into her family’s spare room, Esther is immediately enamored. Their short romance blooms, until Mordi’s health forces them apart as he is sent to a year of recuperation abroad.

Without Mordi by her side, Esther’s life grinds to a sorrowful halt. With her one true love gone, and her country on the verge of a violent coup that will reshape its people for generations, Esther’s dream of a better life is put to the test—setting in motion a chain of events that exposes her family’s buried past and the true story behind her mother’s death.