What is the main conflict in the novel, Transcendent Kingdom?

One of Gifty's primary internal conflicts is the tension she feels between the religious faith that defined her childhood and the scientific study that has been the predominant concern of her adult life.

Gifty's other significant conflict, which also stems from Nana's death, is her inability to form close bonds with other people. Through the flashbacks featuring scenes from her friendship with Anne and her romantic relationship with Raymond, the reader can see that Gifty feels uncomfortable with intimacy. She has abandonment and trust issues that she has never fully processed related to Nana's addiction and death. In a way, she feels abandoned by Nana himself because he would not, could not, stay sober, even though he knew he was hurting his family. But she also felt abandoned by her mother, who collapsed mentally and emotionally after Nana died and sent Gifty to stay with family in Ghana, and by her community, as the church congregation did little to support her and her mother when they needed it most.