J.T. Gamble, a young black boy living in Harlem with his mother, is lonely. Harassed by the neighborhood gangs, he is ready to become one of them until he finds an old stray alley cat. Through the cat, J.T. learns how to care for another being and about life and death.

After undergoing a brutal procedure of female genital mutilation in Africa, the main character of this novel immigrates to the United States and descends into a world of madness.

Walker's novel spans 500,000 years as it tells the story of men and women in Europe, Africa, and America--their spiritual lives and their attempts to comprehend their worlds. The plot centers on an aging, much-victimized woman and the young American rock musician for whom she creates feathered costumes; the two fall passionately in love, finding not only sensual but spiritual fulfillment.