Dinah and her sister Lisa are growing up in 1950s South Africa, where racial laws are tightening. Big sister Lisa is strong and sensible, while Dinah is weedy and arty. At school the sadistic Mrs Vaughan-Jones is providing instruction in mental arithmetic and racial prejudice. And then there's the puzzle of lunch break. 'Would you rather have a native girl or a koelie make your sandwiches' a classmate asks. But Dinah doesn't know the answer, because it's her dad who makes her sandwiches.