This book is a fairy tale about modernity, where at the crossroads everyone chooses their own destiny. Twins Ivan and Ivana were born in Guadeloupe, and named them in honor of Ivan the Terrible. Their mother is poor, and their father returned to his homeland in Mali before they were born. Throughout their lives, they feel an exceptional emotional connection, too strong even for twins. In the end, a fabulous and sad fate will lead them to Mali, and then to Paris, where the paths of brother and sister will forever diverge. Maryse Condé addresses the most modern problems: racism, terrorism, political corruption and violence, economic inequality and immigration - as if all this is not happening in reality, as if we dreamed it all.