The first of the five Children of Violence novels follows Martha Quest, a restless teenager growing up on a farm in colonial southern Africa. She is clever, bookish and impatient with her mother's expectations and the narrow prejudices of the settler community. Longing for a larger life, she moves to the nearby town, finds work, and explores friendships, parties and romance. The book gives a close, unsentimental picture of adolescence, family conflict and a girl's search for independence in a divided society.