Berkeley, California

The novel takes place in the city of Berkeley, California. Berkeley is located on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay. It has a population of about 120,000 people. Maddie and Theo are residents of Berkeley, and although the city is generally politically progressive, Maddie and Theo still face pressure due to their race. Like many cities in California, Berkeley had underfunded public schools. Theo advocates for better funding so that all children in Berkeley can attend pre-kindergarten.

School

Theo plans the campaign rally for universal pre-k at a school in Berkeley even though he had been warned that there was a bigger chance that he would have protestors interfere. During the course of the rally, protestors manage to break through a line of police. One of them hits Theo over the head knocking Theo unconscious. The doctors diagnose Theo with a concussion, a head injury that...