Sexing the Cherry by Jeannette Winterson is a novel that explores the relationship between Jordan and his mother, the Dog-Woman, as well as the concept of time which is explored extensively throughout the novel. Sexing the Cherry is a novel that incorporates magical aspects of time travel and teleportation into a more realistic plot concerning a mother and her adopted son.

The Dog-Woman finds a baby in the slime of the river bank, takes him home, raises him and names him Jordan. As a child, Jordan is fascinated with boats, and he meets John Tradescant while playing with his boats on the banks of the Thames when he is about ten years old. Soon after the start of the civil war, the Dog-Woman's argument with her neighbor is interrupted by Tradescant's request to hire Jordan as his gardening assistant at Wimbledon. Thus, Jordan and his mother move to Wimbledon.

As an adult, Jordan is infatuated with a dancer he sees at a dinner party, beginning his search for her. This search takes him to the town where Zillah's tower lies and the village whose inhabitants rebuild their homes daily, leading to Jordan's visit to the twelve dancing princesses who share their stories with him.

Jordan, Tradescant and the Dog-Woman return to London to attend the king's trial, and they mourn when he is executed. Tradescant decides to head back to sea, and Jordan joins him. During Jordan's absence, the Dog-Woman seeks vengeance against the Puritans for King Charles' execution, ultimately uniting with a brothel full of prostitutes to kill Preacher Scroggs and Neighbor Firebrace. Jordan lands in Barbados where he finally finds Fortunata, the mysterious dancer, and he spends a month with her before returning to England with a pineapple. The Dog-Woman eagerly awaits her son's return and watches by his feet as he sleeps on the night of his return.

Nicolas Jordan is fascinated by ships and so decides to join the Navy. The woman does pollution research on the banks of the river and goes mad from the mercury. She hallucinates about being a giant able to kidnap the world's leaders and force them to help the world. Jordan and the Dog-Woman travel to London, and during their journey, he tells her about Fortunata.

Artemis kills Orion when he rapes her, and she sees that her past is altered, though her future remains intact. After Jordan tells his mother about visiting the Hopi Indian tribe, they both prepare to present the pineapple to King Charles the Second. Nicolas Jordan and Jack argue about a woman fighting a plant's pollution of the river, and Nicolas decides to find the woman who he recognizes, though he knows that is impossible. The Dog-Woman sees the Plague as God's judgment on England for the execution of King Charles. The hallucinating woman suggests to Nicolas Jordan that they burn down the factory. A fire demolishes London, and Jordan and the Dog-Woman escape down the Thames in his ship. Jordan knows that he will never return to his home, but he looks forward to the future with hope.