The text opens with a quote from Saint Lucian author Derek Walcott, a poem from his text The Swamp that contains the book’s title, “petals of blood.” It relates to the grotesque side of nature found within a swamp and its impact on the beauty underneath. Additionally, the epigraph to Part 1 includes two quotes—one from the Book of Revelation of the Bible, and one from American poet Walt Whitman. The quote from the Book of Revelation details the appearance of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, who are given power over a quarter of the Earth to kill by four means: conquest, war/conflict, famine, and death itself. The quote from Walt Whitman is from his poem “Europe (The 72nd and 73rd Years of These States)” and discusses the relationship between people and their rulers and the tools by which they rule.

The first chapter introduces the four main characters—Munira, Abdulla, Karega, and Wanja—as they are taken by the local police for questioning. Wanja’s brothel was burned down, and three men died in the fire: Chui, Kimeria, and Mzigo.

Munira is taken from his home while he lies on his bed reading the Book of Revelation.