The Price family packs up their belongings and heads to the airport to begin their flight to the Congo where they are going to spend a majority of their lives as the family of a missionary. However, upon reaching the airport bag check, thy are informed that they cannot take all of their belongings. This the first problem of many the Price family will face in the Congo.
Since the Congolese villagers are seen through the eyes of the growing daughters, the view changes. At first, they appear as ridiculous savages. But as the girls mature, the villagers become fully fleshed-out human beings, immersed in a complex and sophisticated culture. Nathan's lack of responsiveness to this culture wears out his family's welcome, but he refuses to leave. Only after a series of misfortunes—culminating in the death of Ruth May—do the women leave Nathan Price to his follyThe Price girls and Nathan attend a church service for the first time in Kilanga and they realize how different their culture is from one another: Leah helps her dad plant a "demonstration garden" and it immediately gets discouragements and criticism for Mama Tataba. Nathan tries to hold and impromptu Easter celebration in hopes of baptizing an abundant amount of Congolese people, but he isunsuccessful in baptizing even one. Leah and Adah begin to spy on Eeben Axelroot, Nathan is trying to convince men one by one to conversion, and Ruth May makes friends with the village children. Ruth May finds out about Axelroot's business with the diamonds after breaking her arm. Nelson is sent to help the Price family and he and Leah go to Leopold to witness