Anna

Anna is the main character and first person narrator of the novel. She grows up in London, England with her mother, Bronwen. Because Bronwen is white and Anna is mixed-race, Anna is curious to know more about her father. No matter how many questions she asks, Bronwen refuses to clarify her father's identity. Worse, Bronwen perpetually avoids discussing race with Anna. When Anna asks questions, Bronwen assures her that she is no different from anyone else.

Years later, Anna marries a white man named Robert. He gives her a sense of security and comfort. She naturally learns to defer to him. Then, when they have a daughter, Rose, Anna begins to realize how isolated her decisions have made her. Always deferring to Robert has left her with little parental or marital agency. Whenever she tries talking to Rose about race, for example, Robert tries convincing her to stop...