Nnu Ego, a Nigerian woman, is ceremoniously married only to be cast off when she fails to conceive. When she finally succeeds in becoming a mother in a second marriage, Nnu Ego gains the respect of her family and her people. But as her family of eight children grows, the values of her rive, her people, and her country undergo bewildering changes, ultimately leaving her bereft of the pleasures that traditionally would be accorded her as a mother.