The story is adapted to modern day events following a young African couple and their struggles in the New World: From the time Lawino arrives in the United States to meet her husband, Ocol, who is a political student and also a son of a Ugandan Chief. Ocol, is now used to the American way of life and chooses to despise his cultural values. He wants to forget everything about his past and pick up a new way of life; a more 'civilized' life that he shapes with his own personal egos. His wife isn't too happy about this, especially with the way he treats her. As Lawino faces the challenges of living with her husband, she introduces us to a world that is lost; a world where grass has withered and all that is left is a breeding ground of unhappiness. People have forgotten who they are, and are lost in trying to become what they can never be. The result of all this is loss of self-identity, isolation, sadness, deceit, and regret.