The novel is Okparanta's first, following her short stories collection Happiness, Like Water (2013), and has received generally positive reception since its publication in 2015.

[2] The novel opens in 1960's Nigeria, following the tale of Ijeoma, a young girl who lives in a small town called Ojoto with her mother, Adaora, and father, Uzo, in the middle of the Nigerian Civil War.

Adaora preaches that no lesbian relationship is right and that Ijeoma will feel the full force of God's wrath if she doesn't change her ways and end this lifestyle.

Ijeoma is initially resistant to the strong influence exerted by her mother but eventually succumbs to the power of the Bible and tries to change and live a heterosexual life.

Having succumbed to the bible preaching, Ijeoma then takes a new, heteronormative outlook on life, marrying a man, with the objective to appear 'normal' in Nigerian society.

Ijeoma soon afterwards finds a man named Chibundu, and ultimately in order make her mother happy and fit in with heteronormative standards, she marries him.

The two end up fighting, Ijeoma eventually realises, through critically reinterpreting the very Bible that Adaora has used to preach homophobia, that if God truly loves everyone, then that includes people of any sexual orientation, such as herself as well.

While growing up as a young girl, she falls in love and enters two separate relationships with two other female characters in the novel, Amina and Ndidi, neither of which last as Ijeoma eventually succumbs to fierce backlash from her mother.

Adaora preaching disapproval of Ijeoma's homosexuality and associated relationships with other females is her wanting to do what's 'right' for her daughter in terms of society, rather than attempting to be outright homophobic.

Ijeoma's relationship with Chibundu turns sour when he discovers, through unsent letters, her previous affection for Ndidi and becomes hostile.

The novel draws on several themes relating to war, family, mother-daughter relationships, homosexuality, religion and Bildungsroman.

They will find a way to coexist.”,[4] the latter sentence in the quote making reference to Adaora eventually accepting Ijeoma's sexuality and that it cannot be altered.

[8] Geary has meanwhile praised the novels use of intersectionality, remarking that "her intentions of not narrowing the focus to just a lesbian story shine through".

"[9] However, negative reception, in the context of a Western audience, found it hard to understand the plight of the LGBT characters in Nigeria.