Summary

In the summer between her senior year in high school and her first year in college, Ada is sent by her mother from their home in America to Lagos, Nigeria. She is there to spend the summer with her Auntie Ugo and her female cousin, Chinyere. The trip is a form of punishment, as Ada’s mother is extremely disappointed that her daughter has fallen just short of being the school’s valedictorian, along with other perceived behavioral issues. When Ada arrives in Lagos she is surprised to see that Chinyere has a young (one-year-old) son. Auntie Ugo, ashamed that her daughter has had a child out of wedlock, refers to the young boy as Chinyere’s brother, even in the privacy of their house.

That night, Auntie Ugo arranges for Chinyere and Ada to go to a fancy fundraiser for a private school...