The novel tells the story of a boy's rural life of Bikrampur of 1960s decade and believed to be inspired by author's own childhood life as Azad was also born and brought up in Bikrampur which is now known as Munshiganj District, however the fictitious character Jalkador, who is the main protagonist of the novel, belongs to a farmer-family.

Author Humayun Azad dedicated this novel to his childhood's rural friends[3] and compared the novel to Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's novel Pather Panchali.

[4] Jalkador lives in Rarhikhal village with his parents and siblings; he has one brother and one sister who are named Abju and Moyna respectively.

Jalkador watches canoe sprint and kabaddi game in village; he also takes part in reaping paddies.

His friend Majid teaches him to smoke cigarette and they talk about circumcision, they see each other’s penis secretly though not in homoerotic gaze.