Jessamy Harrison, or Jess, is an eight-year-old girl who lives with her parents in Crankbrook, England. Jess’s mother, Sarah, is Nigerian, and Jess’s father, Daniel, is English. The novel opens with Jess hiding in a cupboard, where she has been hiding all afternoon. Jess’s mother finds Jess in the cupboard and scolds her for not playing outside, claiming, “In Nigeria […] children were always getting themselves into mischief, and surely that was better than sitting inside reading and staring into space all day” (6). Once Jess’s mother pulls Jess out of the cupboard, she tells Jess that they are going to Nigeria.

The novel flashes back to a time when Jess was obsessed with haikus. One day, Jess spent six hours writing haikus, until she fell asleep and her father had to put her to bed. A week later, Jess “fell ill with the same quietness that she had pursued her interest” (8); she stopped liking haikus after that.

At the airport, Jess is fascinated by a woman wearing traditional Nigerian clothing. Jess remembers how her mother would sometimes dress up in similar clothing, called “iro ati buba” (9). On the plane, Jess throws a tantrum, upset by the antimalaria medication she is forced to take and overwhelmed by the upcoming trip.