Racism and the South is a recurring idea in the story. From the start of the novel, Dr. Cross is troubled at the idea of going to the South. He is uneasy about being a black police detective in the South. He sees overt racism when he interviews Naomi's good friend Mary Ellen Klouk and she tells him that she and Naomi had not been so close lately. Later he figures out through a law school friend that Naomi created a stir by dating Seth Samuel Taylor who actively preaches and advocates against racial injustice.