[1] The story is set in the 1920s in Cinnamon Gardens, a wealthy suburb of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
She aspires to advance in her career and take on a similar leadership role one day, but her traditional family disapproves of her ambitions and wants her to marry and have children.
She also must struggle against the white supremacy in Sri Lanka, which reserves positions of authority for British expats, making career advancement all the more unattainable for a young Tamil woman.
He is peacefully married and wealthy, having found success working under his powerful father.
However, the visit of Richard, a former lover from England makes Balendran question his tendency to blindly follow the repressive social codes of his community.