Passion

The central theme of the novel is passion. Each of the characters is driven by passion for something different, depending on their personalities, backgrounds and the time in which they live. The novel is set in two historical periods, linked by a painting of an Egyptian girl called Zeinab, which arrives in the restoration department along with books and manuscripts damaged by the fire in the Institut d'Égypt during the January revolution. While she is restoring it, Yasmin, a researcher and art historian, discovers a terrible secret. Meanwhile, in the time of the French campaign against Egypt, Zeinab herself reveals the truth of her relationships with Napoleon Bonaparte and one of the artists in his entourage.