London

London is the overarching setting of the novel where each of the characters struggles to make a living and advance themselves in the immigrant community. London is a fundamentally unwelcoming space for Black people in the 1960s and never feels like home. The characters do not spend every moment dreaming of leaving London behind, but they do pray for a respite in the discrimination and prejudice they experience.

West Indies

Nearly all of the main characters hail from the West Indies and emigrated during the English labor shortages in the 1960s. They remember the West Indies for the warmth and comfort they enjoyed as young adults, especially in contrast to the harshness of London. They carry small pieces of the West Indies, such as rum and music, to remember home.

Bat's apartment

Bat’s apartment is the central meeting place throughout the novel. He lives alone, until Harry...