The novel follows the life of Yana, an immigrant in the US, who chooses to overstay her summer work visa and live as an illegal alien, all while deceiving her family in Bulgaria that she is studying. Yana shares her life story with someone she has fallen in love with. The narrative spans several generations, focusing on three women – Yana’s grandmother, mother, and herself – all of whom are victims of domestic abuse.
Yana’s grandmother, Eva, marries Ignat, a man who becomes increasingly jealous and violent over time. Eva’s daughter, Lilly, witnesses her mother’s suffering and leaves home at a young age to escape the abuse. Lilly, while studying medicine, marries Dimitar, a man from a wealthier family who struggles with alcoholism and abusive behavior. Despite her reservations, Eva keeps silent, hoping for the family to come together with the arrival of a child.
Yana’s own life begins during Bulgaria’s tumultuous transition period in the 1990s, marked by economic hardships and political turmoil. Growing up in poverty and a troubled family, she experiences violence from both her grandfather and the aftermath of her parents’ divorce. Yana escapes to Sofia at the age of 14, living with her mother, who later moves to Germany for work. Yana and Lilly reunite when Eva suffers a stroke, and they both return from abroad to be with her. Eva’s death prompts Yana to confront her past before returning to the US.
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