What is the importance of Baltimore, Maryland in the novel, That Kind of Mother?

Baltimore acts as a provocative setting for this novel’s racial conflicts. Rebecca notes the ongoing racial and financial divide within the city, observing that only one black family lives in her affluent suburban neighborhood. Ian experiences racism while driving home from work when the police pull him over and force him to lay on the cold ground in his expensive suit for more than ten minutes. Other indicators of racial inequality—such as Mrs. Gould’s segregation of Andrew from his classmates—appear throughout the novel, indicating Baltimore’s persistent battle against racial inequality.