When will you give birth to a lady who will be content in herself, a complete human being, and not just someone else's appendage? When will I be liberated? In an Ibo village, having offspring, especially sons, is the greatest honour for a woman. Nnu Ego, who was unable to conceive during her previous marriage, is sent to a new spouse in Lagos, where she eventually succeeds in having a child. The situation is altering, though, and a conflict that is raging thousands of miles away puts her family's well-being and her way of life in jeopardy. What will be left for her at the end of it all in a world where motherhood is everything?