Race

Ms. MacLean's debut novel illuminates the difficulty of racial identity and the chaos it can create. The narrative deftly investigates racism beyond simple black and white figures (Angela proves not "dark" enough for her black relatives, though most of the white world view her as black).
Dotted with ghosts, sex scenes and ramblings in New Orleans and abroad, the story can be thrilling... an endless string of docile servants round out this astutely delicate dramatization of race relations.