A family in modern Botswana is wracked by losses from AIDS and caught in the tension of a society divided between ancient traditions and beliefs and Western thought with white influences. Single parent Mara feels the urgency of holding on to her community's faith in ancient magic when she worries her family is threatened by a curse. Her 17-year-old daughter Mosa faces different kinds of threats as she seeks to rally her fellow female students to speak out against the sexual abuse they face in school and society at large. The only remaining son in the family, Stan, is torn between how he was raised and the opportunities for his future provided by his white teachers and the education system. A stirring novel about individuals struggling to define themselves as well as their family, this is an unforgettable glimpse into modern African culture and the challenges of balancing history against the hope of progress.