The Lotus Blooms at Night is the story of a young East Indian Hindu girl born in Trinidad in 1947 to a poor family in Central Trinidad. She endures great trials, the least of which is her husband who has a penchant for alcohol and wife beating. Hard times hit the family, so she seeks work as a domestic helper for a wealthy East Indian couple, but trouble arises when the man falls in love with her. Her apparent misfortune also brings about mixed blessings for her children. This story showcases the complex relationships which develop from the tendency for men and women to cohabit, combined with various prejudices arising from differences in skin colour and ethnicity, and how this contributes to family and social relations in Trinidad and Tobago.