In the West African village of Lai, red-haired Gbessa is cursed at birth and exiled on suspicion of being a witch.

Bitten by a viper and left for dead, she nevertheless survives to discover new life with a group of African American settlers in the colony of Monrovia.

There Gbessa meets two extraordinary others: June Dey - a man of unusual strength, and Norman Aragon, who can fade from sight at will.

Soon all three realise that they are all cursed - or, perhaps, uniquely gifted. Together they protect the weak and vulnerable, but only Gbessa can salvage the tense relationship between the settlers and the indigenous tribes.

In her transcendent debut, Wayétu Moore illuminates the tumultuous roots of Liberia, blending history and magical realism in a profound tale of resistance and humanity.