One of the central questions of this novel revolves around the idea of preservation—what it means to preserve a historical artifact or manuscript, and what it means to preserve the self. Hanna introduces herself to Ozren with her theory on preservation, saying, “To restore a book to the way it was when it was made is to lack respect for its history” (17). Hanna argues for a kind of preservation that maintains the imperfections, intricacies, and unique markings of its history—essentially, to allow the object to acquire its own identity and remain true to that identity, even if it means it will be less beautiful or ornate.

There is a similar theme in the novel around what it means to preserve the self—to live as one’s true self. Zahra is a perfect example of this struggle—though she has a happy life with the doctor, she is not free or in her home, and so she is not happy: “Freedom, indeed, is the main part of what I lack now in this place where I have honorable work, and comfort enough. Yet it is not my own country” (316). For Zahra, self-preservation might initially look like survival, as a slave woman struggling through political unrest.