Sent for You Yesterday is Part III of The Homewood Trilogy. The characters, setting, and stories in Sent for You Yesterday have their beginning in Damballah and Hiding Place, the two books which Wideman wrote because he had trouble with Sent for You Yesterday.

Throughout the trilogy, Homewood is the central setting, although Damballah begins in Africa and in Hiding Place Tommy, the main character, visits Aunt Bess's cabin outside of Homewood.

Characters resurface in all three books, as do stories. John French is a staple, with his gadabout ways examined from several perspectives. John's daughter Lizabeth appears more than once, usually linked with the caterpillar story (she eats a bite of caterpillar and John French eats the rest). Reba Love Jackson, a blues singer, is given her own story in Damballah and mentioned in passing in another part of the trilogy.

As the characters resurface...