Vikram Lall is an adult living in exile in Canada and the novel plots him contemplating over his life as a teenager of Indian origin living in Kenya in the 1950s. Vikram's paternal grandfather was brought to Africa from Northwest India as a labourer on the railways, while his father Ashok was born in Africa and became a member of the Asian Home Guard troops that worked for the British.
The novel examines Vikram Lall's life as a teenager of Indian origin living in Kenya during the 1950s, drawing from his experiences as an adult in exile. The narrative explores his family history through his paternal grandfather's migration to Africa and his father's service with the Asian Home Guard.