Merab doesn't want to marry. The husband chosen for her is an older farmer with three children of his own. To object doesn't cross Merab's mind, however. She respects and obeys the limited roles Ugandan tribal culture gives to women. To do otherwise would be to deny centuries of culture.

Unlike Merab, Ruth rails against the limitations of being a woman in a world where men hold all the power. Ruth wants to make her own way in life, despite the career her mother chooses for her and a verbally abusive husband. For Ruth, tradition is just another word for subjugation.

While Merab uses her considerable talents to improve her family's life, Ruth builds a career in the civil service, only to be constantly undercut by the chauvinistic values of her male colleagues-a constant hindrance that prompts her to change her goals and life.

Told over the course of seven decades, Frenemy Matriarchs tells the stories of two very different women. When their paths cross, neither fully appreciates the other, and neither can recognize the inner strength they have in common. It will take a common enemy to bring them together-and help change traditional Ugandan society.