In this intricately woven, cinematic novel, the worlds of Hrayr, an Armenian teacher, and his inflexible father collide in 1980's Hollywood, when an on the run prostitute finds refuge in their apartment. Hrayr falls helplessly in love with the American prostitute, alienating all around him. Tensions rise as the clash of cultures and morals takes a haunting turn, fundamentally changing the three protagonists. Berberian's heartfelt novel unravels a sexy and brutally honest world that seethes under the veneer of respectability and traditional values.