The novel is set in a impoverished, post-colonial slum in Nigeria. The story is narrated through the eyes of Azaro, a young boy who is an Abiku—a spirit-child in Yoruba mythology destined to repeatedly die and be reborn, thereby tormenting his parents. Azaro chooses to remain in the world of the living, enduring harsh suffering alongside his mother (Maa) and father (Dad). Azaro possesses the …