The story follows four siblings—twin girls and their two brothers—over the course of several years in Lagos. Each chapter is told by a different sibling and the time jumps when the POV changes, highlighting different moments in their lives. The family starts out relatively middle class until the father makes a bad financial decision and they lose everything. This change in situation affects the family, causing the mother to flee to America and leaving the kids to fend for themselves. The choices that each sibling makes throughout the rest of their early adult lives are informed by this early financial tragedy and their attempts to make a better life for themselves.

What struck me the most about this book was the writing. The prose is beautiful, almost poetry. I was reading another book at the same time I read this one and there was a stark difference in the quality of the writing between the two, with Abraham’s writing being far above the norm. While the story and the characters were also well-done, it was her writing that really made the book for me. This is a short book but she packs a lot into it, from commentary on poverty in Lagos, to what it’s like to lose your parents at an early age, and how choices early on in life continue to affect you. This is a book not to miss.