The first story is inspired in part by Ndiaye's own life, and is built around the departure of a Senegalese father from France, taking with him only son Sunny, and abandoning his wife and daughters (Ndiaye's Senegalese father left when she was 1, in a similar way).
The second story takes place in the Gironde in France (where Marie Ndiaye actually owns a house), where Fanta, a teacher, and her academic husband Rudy have a serious argument, and he shouts 'go back where you came from'.