Abandoned by her mother, Tricia grows up in England, Wales, Ireland and South Africa suffering the daily tirades of her manipulative stepmother, Winifred, who controls her life and loves even into adulthood. Constantly moving, Tricia has a love affair with Africa and finally settles there, marrying John Frestel. She suffers the sudden loss of two husbands by the time she is forty, and raises her son, Peter, alone, doing whatever she must to survive. There are good times and bad times, and Winifred never seems far away. A history buff, Tricia explores England's and South Africa's historic landmarks. She tracks down her mother in later years, and just when life should be settling down, she leaves her beloved Africa and starts a new life in yet another country.