At the dawn of the Young Turk Revolution, an English girl goes on the adventure of a lifetime

For years Julia has stared at her globe, dreaming of countries on the other side of the earth. In 1907, when her father is assigned to go on a diplomatic mission to the exotic Ottoman Empire, Julia begs him not to leave her alone in the house that has been empty since her mother died. Although Julia is only sixteen and young women rarely travel abroad, her father relents. She will accompany him on his trip—seeing sights she never dreamed of that will change her life forever.

The land of the Turks is in the first days of a rebellion, and Julia's father has come to assess the revolt. In the endless deserts of Syria, Julia encounters ruins too old to be imagined, fascinating people, romance, and a revolution that will move her in ways she never thought possible.