Summary

The novel opens in London in November of 2008. After Barack Obama is elected as the President of the United States, a group of black friends in a London neighborhood host a party to celebrate the event. Among the guests are Melissa and Michael. They are black and in their late 30s. They have been together 13 years and have a daughter together, but they are not married. At the party, the guests listen to music by black artists. However, the air of celebration is undercut somewhat by thoughts of continuing crime and violence in various predominantly black neighborhoods of London. On the way back from the party, Michael thinks about the excitement of the early days of his and Melissa’s relationship. They had wanted to marry each other, but they never actually did. They instead simply proceeded to live as a married couple and...