The book started by narrating how Dika, Helen's father, managed to escape from Jos, in the Northern Nigeria, during the Ibo massacre of 1966 that led to the Biafran war, which lasted three years. He had nine children and the third was Helen. Helen had the privilege to live in the United States at the age of 42. Helen recounts her experiences adjusting to the new world and she compares it with the old.