The book tells the story of Danny Mangam, a teenage boy living in an abusive home.

After Danny and his mother escape her abusive boyfriend, he also confronts a number of problems caused by his mixed ancestry.

Chris pursues the pair to the local tube station, but they manage to escape to an area of the country known as "the Edge", where Danny's grandparents, Joan and Harry, live.

This causes trouble for Danny, because she is also loved by another teen called Steve Parker, who is a racist bully.

Though Cathy initially is able to conceal their hiding place from him, a newspaper article eventually gives Chris a clue.

Danny is the main character of the book; he is mixed race teenager and is often treated unfairly as a result, even by his grandfather.

At the outset of the novel, Danny is portrayed as anxious and uncertain as a result of abused by Chris Kane and he felt uncomfortable when he first arrived the promise land.

After she and her son suffer prolonged abuse from her boyfriend, Chris, Cathy often worries about how Danny has been affected by what he was forced to go through.

Partway through the novel, Steve suffers a broken nose when Danny punches him in retaliation for a racist comment.