Anansi Boys is centered on the children of Mr. Nancy, who dies at the beginning of the story. Mr. Nancy's son, Fat Charlie, moved from Florida to London to escape his humiliating father and when his father dies, he learns of his long-estranged brother, named Spider. The malicious god, Tiger, is up to trouble, however, and a narrative unfolds that takes Fat Charlie and Spider to the Caribbean island of St. Andrew, where the story culminates in the power of song.