Disguised in a burqua to conceal her identity, Jo Huxley takes unofficial time off from her high-powered telecomms career to find a man in fear for his life. The land is harsh, her guides are deadly serious and Jo learns the hard way what a military roadblock can mean. She comes to see the realities of her guides’ lifestyle and the strength they draw from their beliefs. With her hopes dashed by a sudden arrest she must return to London empty-handed, reappraise her lavish London existence and somehow make sense of it. Her plentiful world is threatened by a web of deceit and corruption, and part of her yearns for the simplicity of other ways.