The baker is Mickey Lerner - a man of confused passions who exists in a community polarised by racial mistrust. One day, Mickey's life is changed by a shocking crime, forcing him to explore the mysteries of his marriage and the awkwardness of life with his eighteen-year-old son. Mickey must also face the racial tension between blacks and whites that threatens both his family and his barkery. Above all, Mickey must confront himself: his feelings, his desires and the memory of a tragic event from his past.
A profoundly moving novel that never flinches in describing the dynamics of race and class while offering a poignant vision of redemption.