First published 1990
Iris Courtney watches as Jinx Fairchild, a talented black basketball player, kills a white man while defending her. The violence happens in their industrial New York town during the early 1950s, where racial lines divide the community into separate worlds. Iris becomes the sole witness to this fatal act. She and Jinx share an attraction that crosses racial boundaries in their segregated town. The killing creates a secret bond between them built on shared guilt and desire. Their connection deepens through passion and the weight of what only they know. The murder shapes how both their lives unfold. Racial tensions in their community make their relationship dangerous. The secret they carry together changes their destinies. Oates follows how one violent moment creates lasting consequences for two young people drawn together by circumstances and attraction.
Genres: american-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, african-american-historical-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forbidden-love
Setting: New York
Period: 1950s
405 pages · Paperback · Dutton Adult
Content warnings: racism, violence