The novel centers on Ursa Corregidora, a young African American blues singer in the 20th century, who grapples with the legacy of trauma passed down from her enslaved ancestors. Haunted by the stories of brutality and sexual exploitation told by her great-grandmother and grandmother, both of whom were victims of a Portuguese slaveholder named Corregidora, Ursa navigates her personal relationships and her identity as a black woman. The narrative delves into themes of memory, history, and the enduring impact of slavery on the present, as Ursa seeks to reconcile her heritage with her own experiences of love, sexuality, and artistic expression.

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