Elizabeth O' Connor finds herself in Japan, where she is reduced to the status of a company wife, instead of the revered teacher she was in Hong Kong. She is determined to find an escape route--even if it means defying socially entrenched conventions. Tokyo is a mysterious, complex city which could easily sap the identity of a foreign woman, especially if her husband feels it his duty to embrace the local culture! Elizabeth is not used to being insignificant or isolated. The Ginza night life is exciting for those who have expense accounts. Elizabeth does not. She lives in a road without a name in a middle class area, surrounded by her three young children and an elderly, spiteful maid. However, Elizabeth refuses to accept the situation and carefully organizes a plan of action. The tone of the book is ironical, descriptive and sometimes erotic. Elizabeth's bizarre adventures are often amusing and occasionally romantic, but. our resourceful heroine prevails and has no regrets.

Grandma Portia is not the fairy tale character who bakes cookies and finds herself eaten by a big bad wolf. She makes up for her lack of traditional skills by using her favorite martial art, aikido, to trap a sinister stranger who breaks into the house. The children are surprisingly adaptable. With the help of Ram, the red-turbaned neighbor, all ends well, and the soccer match with the next street's blue team takes place as planned. Grandma Portia leaves on her green motor cycle and the children change their minds about grandmothers.