A young woman named Kathy travels to Haiti for a vacation, only to find herself entangled in a series of intense, often disorienting sexual encounters. The protagonist navigates a landscape where personal identity and desire collide with the colonial and political realities of the island. Her pursuit of connection is marked by a relentless, almost compulsive drive that challenges traditional narrative structures. The text utilizes a fragmented, non-linear style that mirrors the protagonist's own unstable sense of self as she moves through various social and sexual power dynamics.

Kathy Acker's work is frequently analyzed for its aggressive subversion of traditional literary forms and its unflinching look at female sexuality. Critics often point to the novel as a prime example of the author's signature style, which deliberately blurs the lines between the author's life and the fictional persona. The narrative's refusal to provide a conventional resolution or moral framework often polarizes readers, positioning the book as a challenging piece of postmodern literature. Its focus on the intersection of personal desire and geopolitical context remains a central point of discussion for those examining the avant-garde movements of the late twentieth century.