Set in Jamaica during the author's childhood, the book begins with an episode at school where children are shamed for something that happens during a bathroom break. The story expands to illustrate the racism that exists in the community. One girl—the narrator's sister—is repeatedly bullied and teased for having darker skin than the other students. The ongoing torment affects the girl's behavior badly. She is considered "evil" by the others. Things get worse as the group's behavior towards the scapegoated girl leads to her increasing negative behavior, even when she is at home with her mother and sister.

Their mother is the emotional strength and center of the family. The father is gone, for which the narrator is glad, but her mother is obliged to keep in touch with him via another man in the community. Many of the men in the author's parish molest and rape teenagers—even their daughters and sometimes their sons. The author addresses many encomiums to her mother's strength and determination to keep their home together and protect her daughters as she is able. Barratt also censures the women whose children are raped and whose daughters are impregnated by the men living with them.

The story tells a true and poignant tale of oppressed people bullying, terrifying, and ruining the lives of those who are weaker than they are. The mother wisely counsels the narrator about the power of truth: truth will be revealed, ultimately to triumph. Barrett is a multiculturally trained psychotherapist who now lives in America. Her book might especially appeal to those interested in the plight of women in international communities or those who have undergone similar experiences as the author.

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