A Black South African recalls his childhood and adolescence in the slums of Johannesburg and his ultimate escape to England.

    It proved so powerful, especially in its use of song, that it was banned and was probably one of the factors leading to Ngugi's detention without trial. The original Gikuyu edition went to three printings in the first three months of publication.

    

    

    Through wit, cunning, and the help of a magic charm, the protagonist escapes their tortures.

    As she reads she cannot anticipate the effect it will have upon her own future. It is the diary of Juletane, a young West Indian woman. Written over three weeks, it records her short life; her lonely childhood in France, her marriage to an African student, and her eager return, with him, to Africa -- the land of her ancestors. In stark contrast to her naive illusions, the social realities of traditional Muslim life and their cultural demands on her as a woman threaten to drive her to unendurable extremes of loneliness and complete alienation. She is a foreigner, in spite of the color of her skin.

    Her conflicting feelings about her role as a traditional Nigerian woman and her wish to take an active part in Biafra's struggles reflect the greater battle happening around her. This is a searing story of conflict between old and new, between different tribes, between male and female, between Nigeria and Biafra.