Adah faces systemic sexism from a young age in Nigeria. Her family initially refuses to send her to school because she is a girl, but they allow her brother Boy to go to school. Later, in her marriage, she is expected to be subservient to Francis, who resents her ambition and intellectual superiority. She is viewed primarily as a child-bearer and a source of income rather than an individual with her own rights.

When Adah moves to the United Kingdom, she encounters the harsh reality of being a "second-class citizen" due to her race. This is most vividly illustrated through:

• Housing struggles: The "Sorry, No Coloureds" signs she encounters while searching for an apartment.

• Employment: The difficulty in finding work that matches her high level of education and library experience because she is Black.

• Social Isolation: The general hostility and prejudice from the white British population in the 1960s.