'Shade of the Baobab Tree' covers the return to Sierra Leone of the author and her spouse, he spouse's career in Politics, the coup that ended his political career and jeopardized his health. Fatmatta's own career flourished working as a volunteer in radio and television and as a paid professional for United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF Sierra Leone) and the Library of Congress. She was also a city councillor for the Municipality of Freetown. Finally the book chronicles the family's last desperate flight from a country they loved and served with Sheka very ill on his way to hospital in Germany.