The graphic novel follows the trial of Abina Mansah, a youngwomen living on the Gold Coast of Africa in 1876. Here, she is sold intoslavery even though slavery has been outlawed by the British. The narratorexplains that after slavery was outlawed by the British, young girls became themajority of slaves because they were thought to be less likely to run away.Abina is sold to a man named Quamina Eddoo by a man who she thinks she is setto marry. The story picks up with Abina escaping from Eddoo’s estate in themiddle of the night. She heads to the Cape Coast where she hears that all peopleare actually free. When she gets into town she starts talking to some of thelocals who are working in the market. They inform her that she needs to find aplace to live and work or the British will put her in jail. Here is the firsttime an ‘important man’ is referenced. The reader will come to understand whatthis means more and more as the book goes on. She hears about a man named JamesDavis who is an interpreter for the courts. She visits him and he informs herthat, yes, she has to get a job a place to stay. As she begins to cry he offersher a job as a maid for him. She is happy with her new life until one day shesees Eddoo in town. She runs back to Davis and begs him to help her put Eddooin jail for having slaves. Davis reluctantly agrees to help her. The next dayDavis visits with the judicial assessor, William Melton. Melton expresses thatDavis is putting him in a tough situation because the British rely on theseimportant men to produce palm oil for them and that they do not want to start alegal battle with them. Eventually, Melton agrees to hear the case. Eddoo ispicked up and brought into town to stand trial. There he hires a well-knownlawyer James Hutton Brew. Brew tells Eddoo that he has nothing to worry about andthat they should be able to win the trial without a problem. The trial beginsthe next day. One of the first things that is asked of Abina is how she was putinto slavery. She explains that she was sold into slavery at a very young ageand eventually made her way to Eddoo. She explains that when she is given toEddoo she is held down and her beads are cut. These beads signified her youthand they were forcefully taken away from her. Brew then cross examines her andcomes to find that she never saw the money change hands. She also says that theydid giver her clothes and food, but it was only the bare minimum. As more andmore days pass, Abina is still unsuccessful in proving that she is actually aslave. Melton eventually decides that he needs to bring a jury in to help himmake the decision. This is when the reader really sees who these ‘important men’really are. The jury are all influential men of the society. After they hear Abina’stestimony, the jury decides that it would be dangerous and bad for business tofind Eddoo guilty. Melton eventually agrees with them. Eddoo is acquitted. Theauthor ends the novel by explaining that history is only written about the ‘importantmen’ and stories like Abina’s, important stories, are often lost to time.