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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
The violence of the criminal justice system and false imprisonment; depicted with moral weight rather than graphic detail
Language
Some
Adult language in Baldwin's literary register
Sexual Content
Some
Adult romantic content between Tish and Fonny; the pregnancy is central
Substance Use
Barely any
Some social drinking
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The psychological weight of watching a system designed to destroy a man — and the love that sustains him — is the novel's sustained and deeply moving subject
What this book is about
James Baldwin's penultimate novel follows nineteen-year-old Tish, who is pregnant by her childhood sweetheart Fonny, falsely imprisoned for rape in New York. Told in Tish's voice, the novel is both a love story and an indictment of the criminal justice system's treatment of Black men. Baldwin writes with lyrical power and deep moral clarity; the novel is devastating in its portrayal of how racism operates through institutions. An essential American novel.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
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