Hussenah, born into a polygamous family in 1960s northern Nigeria, is sent to live with her uncle when her soldier father leaves for the civil war. There she endures hardship and is denied secondary school while her friends Deborah and Mercy move on. When her uncle arranges her marriage to an old man, her grandmother helps her escape to Women's Teachers College, Numan. Her mother's sudden death nearly breaks her, but she graduates and becomes a teacher. She falls in love with Nathaniel, a Christian corps member, and after years of resistance from both families they marry. They survive tension over her refusal to pursue more schooling, and she builds a life in business and farming. She endures mockery over having four daughters, then is blessed with two sons, and together they raise their children and two adopted ones to great success. In old age, she supports her daughter Hanna through an abusive marriage and holds on to hope as her best friend Deborah faces breast cancer.