 The story is told from the perspective of Tambudzai as she attends a convent boarding school in Rhodesia.In "The Book of Not", Tambu's story continues from when it previously left off in the prequel, "Nervous Conditions" (1988).In May 2018, the BBC named "Nervous Conditions" as one of the top 100 books that have shaped the world, listing the novel at number 66.