Set in the early 1900s, in colonial Nigeria, The Slave Girl tells the story of `twice-born' Ogbanje Ojebeta who, following the death of her parents is betrayed by her older brother and sold into domestic slavery. She finds solace among her fellow slaves but learns the painful lessons of what it means to be owned by another. As she grows into a woman she longs for freedom and for a family of her own. She realises that she must ultimately decide her own destiny, and when the opportunity arises, makes a choice that we as modern readers might find surprising.