The novel’s action takes place in a fishing village near the sea named Thul, located in a rural area in India. The novel follows the life of a small family forced to live in poverty. The parents are unable to take care of their four children—the mother is sick with an unknown illness and the father is given to drink and dissolution—so the oldest two, Lila and Hari, assume the roles of adults in the house. Lila takes care of her mother and takes care of the house while her brother works in the fields in order to financially sustain his family.
The family ended up in this situation after Lila, Hari, Kamal, and Belu’s father was tricked into believing that if he paid a large sum of money, someone would find him a job in Goa. The man ran away with the money and the father stopped working and started drinking excessively, which put a strain on the family.
Hari begins to think about better ways in which he could help his family, and believes their prospects might get better when he hears that a factory will be built in their village. All of Hari’s friends are excited, but Hari tries to have a more realistic view on whether he will find work in the factory.
Their situation changes a bit when the de Silva family comes into the village. They are a rich family who vacation at their seaside home several times a year, and they always employ the children. Lila and Hari start helping them and become their servants. After finding out about their situation, Mr. de Silva offers Hari a job in Bombay as a car washer.
At first, Hari is suspicious of his offer but then analyzes his situation and reaches the conclusion that Lila will never be able to find a good husband without money and that it is now his responsibility to provide for his family.
