At the close of World War II, a young nurse tends to a badly-burned plane crash victim. His past is shown in flashbacks, revealing an involvement in a fateful love affair.

Set in the 1930s Arab states at the dawn of the oil boom, the story centers on a young Arab prince torn between allegiance to his conservative father and his modern, liberal father-in-law.

A New York postal worker travels to Egypt to take belly dancing lessons from a legendary instructor.