Set in the independent Boer State of the Transvaal in Africa and spanning four decadesthrough to the Sharpeville massacre of 1955, this is a tale about the boundaries imposed on people by a ruthless bureaucracy.

Born in the Transvaal and 'whiter than the moon,' Jada is considered lucky, even as a ruthless bureaucracy intrudes deeper into her life, and the lives of those she loves. Her fortunate appearance can lead her to a better life - if her lies hold up. If she avoids enmeshment among illiterate dockworkers and dour, dark men building the riverbank town of Franksstad, she has a chance.

When she meets Adam, an educated black man living in a time and place where neither of these things are an advantage, their love story unfolds against the turbulent, frantic expansion of their rapidly growing city. As the apartheid laws grow more oppressive, the couple find themselves accidental criminals, their life together no longer allowed.

But some stories will be told, and Jada's secrets remain a necessary reminder that some people remain unconquerable, no matter how much more there is to her story.