Marseilles

Marseilles is a city in France, and it serves as the primary setting of the novel. The city is located near the southeastern corner of France. The city is specifically located on France’s Mediterranean coast, near the mouth of the Rhone River. Marseille is an active port city. Lafala’s work as a sailor is likely what first brought him to Marseille. Lafala befriends many black residents of the Quayside neighborhood, and he falls in love with a sex worker named Aslima. After Lafala receives a large monetary settlement, he decides to return to his home country of Senegal, and he hopes to persuade Aslima to come with him.

New York City

The novel opens in New York City. Lafala arrives there by stowing away on a ship that departed from Marseille. During the voyage, he is discovered by the crew and is locked in a non-insulated...