A Girl Named Disaster tells the story of Nhamo and her long quest for her father's family. Her path, which takes her away from her tiny village in Africa, takes a wrong turn that results in a longer journey, but one in which she has to live by her wits and her skills. When she eventually makes her way back onto the right path, she discovers a family that does not want her or value her, but other people who do love and value her.

Nhamo, a young African girl orphaned as a young child, lives in her village with her aunt and grandmother. The aunt despises Nhamo, because Nhamo's mother was the favorite daughter. Grandmother, however, cares deeply for Nhamo.

A cholera epidemic takes the lives of many villagers, and eventually, the chief of the village takes them to a trading post where a muvuki...