The novel follows Okonkwo, a respected man in the Igbo village of Umuofia. He takes in a boy named Ikemefuna who is to be sacrificed, but grows fond of him. When Ikemefuna is killed, it shakes both Okonkwo and his son Nwoye. Okonkwo's gun later explodes at a funeral, killing a boy, so he is exiled for seven years. During his exile, white missionaries arrive in Umuofia and convert some residents to Christianity, including Nwoye. When Okonkwo returns, he finds the village changed and disrespecting customs. Tensions rise until the district commissioner arrests clan leaders