Point of View

The chapters are divided into different sections by extra spaces and with the extra space, the reader is notified that the perspective is changing. The story is told in the third-person point of view, with alternating perspectives. The story will follow one character's perspective during part of a story and then there will be a page break or extra physical spacing and the following scene will be in the perspective of a different character.

Characters whose perspective's are included in the novel: Gwen, Aviva, Nat, Archy, Luther, Valetta, Aisha, Titus, and Julie.

Setting

The novel is set in 2004 in Oakland, California. Gibson Goode, the fifth richest black man in America and ex-pro-football player, plans on building a multiplex complex which will feature a record store, possibly putting partners Nat and Archy out of business.

For the characters, Telegraph Avenue, a busy commercial street in Oakland, represents...