this book was a serendipitous find. I picked it up at a fleamarket for a quarter. It was a deligtful discovery. Ms.(?) Cartier is a clever, gifted writer. The narrative is fast-paced and swift. There are many surprising wordplays in this book. I found myself stopping to smile at her use of language. This is a jazz novel par excellence. She introduces Double and Vole through their daughter who narrates the novel. Double is an urban sage while Vole is a social climber worrying about moving ahead in society. The daughter gets bused to a white school and faces the bigotry of American society. it follows on to The daughters own marriage. She now is a parent of a young child. This multigenerational view is rewarding. It gives one an honest view of the trials and tribulations facing minorities in America.