Summary

The novel opens as the narrator’s father is caught fighting with another black man, only to be disregarded by the Chicago police. The narrator, Claude, then describes his childhood, and how his father would socialize with Coach, a depressed friend with two babies. One Thanksgiving, when Claude was five, his father tried to serve him a beer, only to be rebuked by his mother and grandmother, who insist that Claude should not follow in his father’s footsteps. After Thanksgiving, Coach disappears, leaving his babies behind.

Claude recalls his parents’ final fight, which took place on the way to see an all-black play. The next day, his father leaves, followed by his mother the next day. From then on, Claude is raised by his grandmother and her friend Paul. The narrative then switches to a scene at Claude’s school, where Claude...