Hannah Musgrave is on the run: from her adoring parents, her many lovers, even from herself. As a young woman, she worked for a Boston terrorist group which has put her on the FBI's most wanted list, forcing her to flee to Liberia in West Africa. There, she marries an ambitious young politician and settles down. But, Hannah can never quite bridge the differences between herself and her African husband. Liberia is a country on the verge of explosion and the threat of civil war is ever present. The violent events that follow touch everyone close to Hannah and, once again, she has to flee. This time, though, the past won't disappear.