Publisher Annotation: In a remote Nigerian village, twelve-year-old Simi is desperate to uncover a family secret. Set in Ajao, a remote village deep in the forests of Nigeria where magic still exists, Simi's mom, secretive about her past, is in a difficult situation and, as a last resort, sends her daughter to Ajao to spend her holidays with the grandmother she has never met. Simi soon finds herself steeped in legends and superstitions. Her witchlike grandmother dispenses advice and herbal medicine to the village, but she's tight-lipped about their family history. Something must have happened, but what? Determined to find out, after learning the grim truth about her mother's past, Simi disobeys her grandmother and goes exploring. Caught in the sinking red quicksand of a forbidden lake, her fantastical journey begins... .