Once a month, Malinka visits her mother, Ladivine Sylla, in Bordeaux. Her mother is unaware of Malinka's existence with a husband and child, her well-ordered, bourgeois life. Likewise, Malinka's family knows nothing of her visits to Bordeaux, as she is ashamed of Ladivine's African heritage. Yet, she clings to her with tender, desperate love. The kindness and warmth Malinka shows to everyone only mask her guilt towards herself, which in turn sets off fatal events. Marie NDiaye's novel traces the intricate paths from the French province to Africa and Berlin. With her usual linguistic ease and virtuosity, she unfolds the inner perspectives of her characters and uncovers the secret threads that connect people, until they are torn apart by a tragic fate.