If Beale Street Could Talk

• Characters:

Tish [Clementine Rivers] (Flat), Fonny [Alonzo Hunt] (Round), and some family members.

• Summary:

About 50 years ago, in the 1970s, the story of Clementine “Tish” Rivers and Alonzo “Fonny” Hunt takes place. The two of them, teasing and fighting each other, grow up together falling in love. After a while, Fonny asks Joseph, Tish’s father, for Tish her hand. He reluctantly grants his permission. One day as Tish and Fonny are out apartment shopping, Tish gets sexually assaulted whilst looking at a sidewalk produce stand. Fonny is not beside her at that moment, so Tish calls for a cop, named officer Bell. As Fonny returns, he strikes the teenager who assaulted Tish, and the cop threatens to arrest Fonny due to racial prejudice. But when he wants to do so, the shop owner stops that from happening. After that incident, Bell begins following both Tish and Fonny and eventually arrests Fonny for a lineup. Victoria Rogers, a young woman had been raped by an African American. Fonny being the only African American in the lineup was recognized by Victoria as her rapist. He was arrested and put on trial. Tish her sister, Ernestine, finds an amazing lawyer by the name of Hayward, but the entire family has to work hard to pay his fees. A little while after, Tish discovers she is pregnant and due to a harsh pregnancy has to quit her job as a sales clerk. Victoria Rogers flees to her native Puerto Rico, and Tish’s mother goes after her to find her and convince her to again take a good look at Fonny and realise he is not the one who raped her. Tish visits Fonny often in the prison, but the imprisonment and the fact that he can not be there for the baby takes its toll on him. The novel ends with Fonny still in prison, and with Tish who has given birth to the baby.

• Setting:

NYC in the 1970’s.

• Theme:

Love, racism.