The stories in this book all take place during a time of upheaval in the country. Independence from the British has happened, but the influence left behind by colonialism is still very much in evidence in the period before the Sudan divides in two. These British expats are in the country for various reasons, some prompted by a desire to visit Africa, others because they want to get away from home. They have different jobs, working for the university, an aid agency or in business, but they are all connected. They are linked by the Sudan Club, the remains of the British colonialist clubs and still the centre of the expat community, to which they are all drawn, and by their experiences of the changes that come with the introduction of Sharia law and the unrest of the divided country.
