"In the Hadramaut, tales of the djinn are not merely stories told to children The djinn are subtle bodies of fire capable of assuming many forms. They may appear as men, beasts, serpents, or shadows, and their true nature is hidden from ordinary sight. Every abandoned well has a story, every ruined tower a spirit; they form part of the landscape itself, inhabiting caves, wadis, ruined cities, and ancient graves. In Yemen, the old people say that when mankind leaves a place empty too long, the djinn make it their own." ? Hadraumi folklore

Mired in a personal rut working at his Mercedes Benz dealership in Sana'a, the Yemeni capital city, German expatriate Gerhardt Rheingold is enchanted by a benevolent djinn into a pickup truck parked outside his dealership. The truck is being driven by members of the Abidah tribe, who whisk him off to their tribal homelands, lawless, ungovernable, almost a failed state. Both the Yemeni government and international community assume Gerhardt has been kidnapped for ransom and send security forces to rescue him. In fact, he is warmly welcomed by the tribe, where he starts a deep friendship with a tribal elder, Abdulwahid al-Shareef and his young granddaughter, Najla. The two men bond deeply, sharing philosophies and life experiences. Drinking in the peace and silence of the desert and the tribal culture, Gerhardt's personal angst lessens. Yemeni security forces attack during a tribal wedding, prompting the tribe's sheik to hide Gerhardt in The Empty Quarter, the desert hinterlands. The government's search for him and his personal spiritual journey continues under the watchful eye of the djinn. Events come to a climax, his capture all but certain until the djinn intervenes and uses its supernatural powers to bring Gerhardt to a time and place that makes him whole.