Set in the hustle of Lagos, a series of disturbing events strip the young Jeffia Okwe of his innocence and reveal the ruthlessness of his own father. The tragic climax of the tale leaves Jeffia cleansed of "the sins of his father", ready for adult life and optimistic about the future. The author has also written "Incidents at a Shrine" which won the African Region section in the Commonwealth Writers Prize 1987.