At the beginning of the story, Rosa Burger is a 14-year-old school girl, whose mother has just been arrested. The story follows the next 15 years or so of Rosa's life. The story begins with her waiting in line to bring her mother some items outside a jail in Pretoria, South Africa. Suddenly, the story moves several years later. Rosa's mother dies and her father Lionel Burger is put on trial and sentenced to life in jail. Rosa visits him and encourages him, but after three years he dies in prison. As a young woman, Rosa attends the trial of her father. At this time she forms a relationship with a young man Conrad, who is not political.