The book

Who they are in the book
Spoiler-freeUm Mabrouk’s daughters are not developed as independent viewpoint characters, but their medical needs explain why their mother joins the queue. The older daughter dies after the family cannot secure timely treatment. Um Mabrouk then tries to use the death as evidence in her effort to save the younger child. Their suffering shows that Yehya’s bullet is not an isolated medical crisis; the permit system harms families throughout the city.
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