Henry Haskins, an elderly Englishman, has seen his beloved Tangier change over the years. From its earlier incarnation as a quiet colonial outpost, he has been a steadfast witness to its transformation into an international hub populated by peoples of diverse nationalities, races, faiths, and customs who have found a way to live peacefully together. Now he has watched Tangier as it was integrated into an independent Morocco.

Then, one day, he makes a fateful phone call- and finds himself under arrest. During his life, he has been gripped by two impossible loves and suffered tragedy....