Swift River

Swift River is the primary backdrop for the novel. It is a fictional town in New England, meant to be in the Massachusetts area. Diamond lives here with her mom in the narrative present. It is the only place that she and Ma have ever called home. However, over the course of the novel, Diamond begins to understand why her dad had such a fraught relationship with the place. Years prior, the white residents of Swift River instated laws that subjugated the Black residents and ultimately caused them to flee the area. Diamond's Aunt Clara was the only Black resident to remain behind. This racist history has bled into the town culture. Thus, it dictates how characters like Diamond and Pop see themselves in the context of others. Throughout the novel, Diamond feels alienated and alone in Swift River. She feels the same desperation to escape as...