In the 1970s, in Zanzibar, peace gradually returns after a conflict, but for Salim—the son whose father has been forgotten and whose mother was left behind—these changes bring no comfort. His father is gone, his mother finds new love and gives birth to a daughter, and all of this leaves Salim feeling deceived and with unresolved questions. He carries with him family secrets, rejection, and hope for a new life when he goes to London to get an education and possibly find answers to his questions.