The novel is set during a period when the United States, particularly the South, was governed by strict racial segregation legislation commonly referred to as Jim Crow laws. Enacted from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century, they mandated the separation of Black and white people in virtually every aspect of public life, including schools, restaurants, public transportation, and restrooms. The laws were intended to maintain white supremacy and control over social, economic, and political systems, while systematically limiting opportunities for Black Americans. The impact of these laws was both practical and psychological: Black citizens faced constant reminders of their restricted status; the dangers of violating segregation norms ranged from social ostracism, to physical violence, to imprisonment.

In the novel, this context frames many of the characters’ experiences. For example, when Annie accompanies Vernice to the train station before Christmas, she witnesses a little Black girl denied access to a restroom, reflecting the pervasive limitations placed on everyday life for Black people under Jim Crow. Similarly, Vernice herself inadvertently sits in the “white” section of the bus on the way to college, causing a confrontation with the bus driver, the loss of her luggage, embarrassment, shame, and the delay of her journey to school. These encounters underscore the constant negotiation Black Americans had to make between safety and basic needs, a reality that shapes the characters’ mobility and interactions throughout the story.

One key aspect of navigating the Jim Crow South was the use of guides like the Negro Motorist Green Book, which provided information about safe lodging, restaurants, and other facilities for Black travelers. Published annually from 1936 to 1966, the Green Book offered practical advice in an era where traveling could be unpredictable and dangerous. Without such resources, Black families risked humiliation, arrest, or physical harm if they attempted to access segregated spaces reserved for white people.

In the novel, Annie has little choice on where to stay to make her journey to Memphis; this restriction thrusts Annie into Lulabelle’s world. References to the Green Book throughout the novel constantly remind readers of the limitations that define Annie and Vernice’s lives. The characters’ journeys are largely defined by the racial and gender expectations of the era that they live in. Vernice clings to social mobility, taking the opportunity to build a comfortable life with the McHenry family, sacrificing her authentic self to do so, as lesbian relationships risks opprobrium and worse at the time. Meanwhile, Annie’s death is tied to her inability to create a stable life and, more importantly, the lack of support for her unintended pregnancy. When police officers wielding a battering ram enter the laundromat, Annie, Vernice, and Babydoll are forced to flee because of the systemic structures that treated Black existence, as well as sex and pregnancy outside of wedlock, as inferior and even criminal. The fear and chaos of this scene demonstrate how navigating a segregated society required careful planning, networks of support, and sheer luck.