An educated girl from a prosperous family in Iraq finds her world turned upside down by circumstances arising from the brutal regime of Saddam Hussein. With her young husband she flees first to Iran, then Turkey, experiencing the humiliation, discomfort and powerlessness of being a refugee. Ibtihal gives birth to a baby boy, lives in a tiny hut with no electricity or running water, tries to protect her baby from hungry rats, and attempts again and again to get approval from the UN to migrate. After years of hardship and persistence, Ibtihal and her small family arrive in Australia, where her youthful ambition leads her to study and later teach art as therapy for trauma.