This was really enjoyable. It's historical fiction - I wouldn't quite call it historical romance, at least not yet - about a young woman called Amir who goes to live with a new family after an arranged marriage to her husband Karluk. Except it's not so much a marriage at this point, because Karluk is only twelve years old and Amir is twenty. The age difference is side-eyed by a few of the characters, and really at this point Amir mostly acts more like a big sister than a wife, but it's all very good-natured and nearly everyone is at pains to be kind and generous to each other. Except for Amir's brother, who wants to get this clearly unconsummated marriage dissolved for his own reasons...

It's a very gentle story, more concerned with showing how life was in central Asian societies like this back in the day - there's a section where Karluk's little nephew, fascinated by building things, is shown how a typical house is constructed, for instance. Amir and Karluk also pay a visit to a nomadic uncle and his family, and help with herding sheep. And honestly, this is where I'm mainly interested - I know nothing about central Asian history and culture, and this is a charming way of learning some of the basics. It's all just really pleasant to read... and apparently the first in a series, so I'm excited to read the rest.