Two sisters, "Sulima" and "Hala," relate what life was like in Afghanistan over two decades. They find similarities and differences in their experiences under Taliban and Mujahideen rule.

The world is going to end on July 27, 2000--at least that's what members of the Righteous Conflagration believe. Under the guidance of their leader, the believers take their families and move to a mountain retreat where they anticipate surviving the Armageddon and eventually beginning the world anew. Jed and Marina, two teenagers in the group, meet and fall in love. As their relationship blossoms, Jed (a nonbeliever who was forced to come to the retreat by his believer mother) and Marina (a willing member of the Righteous Conflagration) must come to terms with their differing beliefs. This story is told in alternating chapters by Jed and Marina.