A wonderfully tense novel about the tensions between tradition and the modern world. Set in the few days after the death of Honourable Makata Mbutuku, a leading politician with a shadowy past, the novel portrays the traumatic experiences of his wife, Akwenoh, who loses control of his burial ceremony as his enemies gather round his grave. The traditions of family which she and her husband had both escaped from, seep back into her life. Will she succeed in doing things her way or will she find herself drawn back into the old world? A beautifully poised insight into the struggle between old and new in the African society.