"It is 1923 and lady cyclist Evangeline English arrives with her sister, Lizzie, at the ancient Silk Route city of Kashgar. Helping to establish a Christian mission, their attempts to navigate their new home are met with resistance and calamity. Meanwhile Eva commences work on her book, A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar... Present day London. Tayeb, having fled from Yemen, has turned up on Frieda's landing and is outside her front door. On the wall, he's drawn an exquisite, long-tailed bird and some Arabic script. Then Frieda learns that she is the next-of-kin to a dead woman she's never heard of. And as their worlds collide, Frieda and Tayeb begin an unlikely friendship, embarking on a journey as great, and unexpected, as Eva's."--Publisher description.