In 1937, the non-orthodox Jewish German lawyer Walter Redlich, aware of the growing of the Nazi movement in Germany and how it would jeopardize the Jews in his country, moves alone to Nairobi, Kenya, to administrate a farm. His only friend is the also Jewish German Süßkind and his African cooker Owuor.
In 1938, his spoiled wife Jettel Redlich and their young daughter Regina arrive. Regine easily adapts to her new lifestyle, but Jettel does not adapt to her new condition of poor expatriated woman in Africa.
Along the years, bursts the Second World War, and the Redlich family experiences the most different situations until 1947.