Introducing the main character (Marion's) mother, Sister Mary Joseph who crosses the Indian ocean to pursue a life in mission work in Ethiopia alongside her new love: Dr. Stone. Working with Dr. Stone in Addis Ababa spanned a life of hard work for the next seven years, and eventually her own passing while she was bringing her own twins into the world.
After Dr. Stone sees his beloved die and the new responsibility of his new born twins, he decides this new role is to much for him and he takes off to America, leaving his new born twins to Dr. Ghosh and his new wife who both work in an impoverished clinic in Addis Ababa. Dr. Ghosh, the adoptees father is followed by Marion to the clinic where he works, only to leave the devastated Marion to learn that his father is dieing of Leukemia. As if this weren't enough, a bloodless coup had taken place in Ethiopia while emperor Hailee Selassie was away in Liberia. This left the main character, Marion, no choice but to flee to America in hopes of continuing his medical school in New York City. Marion has much to learn about the parallel differences between Ethiopia and America, but he takes it into strides, reminding that himself that he is making a life for himself and his family for which he left behind in Ethiopia.
