The book, dedicated "for Beauford Delaney", covers many topics related to anti-Black racism in American society, as well as African-American–Jewish relations, childhood, the creative process, criminal justice, drug addiction, family relationships, lynching, sexuality, and white supremacy.

On the Fourth of July, parishioners are having a church outing, which, this year, happens to be boat trip up the Hudson River up to Bear Mountain.

Major themes of the story include adolescence and puberty, as well as religious faith in the African-American community.

His friend Jules lets him stay in a room he is renting in a white neighbourhood; despite hiding, Peter is eventually found out by the other neighbours and the landlady.

Major themes of the story include darkness and light; music; ice; pain, passing it on, and growing from it; and absence.

Its title is a reference to the chorus of the traditional folk song "Tell Old Bill", which recounts the lynching of a man who does not heed the narrator's advice to "leave them downtown girls alone.

He then thinks back to the time he returned to America after his mother's funeral, and the way the Statue of Liberty made no sense to him, and people were treating him differently there.

He goes on to think back to the time when he was shooting Les Fauves Nous Attendent, and how Vidal, the director, had upbraided him for not playing it real.

Back to his last night in Paris, the protagonist and Vidal go to a jazz joint, where his music is being played and a group of black Americans entice them to join them.

Later, Talley informs The Narrator that he saw Boona steal ten American dollars (in francs) from Ada's handbag.

Ruth is living with Paul, who has taken to coming back home in the wee hours of night, putting forth that they are not married and that he tells her everything.

She feels rejuvenated when Mr Davis not only suggests making her his own secretary and increasing her salary, but also takes her out to lunch.

Later, since Paul called her earlier to say he would be away at some art gallery with Cosmo, she goes to a bar and thinks back to an ex-boyfriend who had treated her like a slavegirl on a farm.