- win ning ▁American ▁author ▁T oni ▁Mor r ison . ▁The ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁narr ative ▁takes ▁place ▁in ▁Har lem ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ; ▁however , ▁as ▁the ▁past s ▁of ▁the ▁various ▁characters ▁are ▁expl ored , ▁the ▁narr ative ▁extends ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 th - century ▁American ▁South . ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁forms ▁the ▁second ▁part ▁of ▁Mor r ison ' s ▁D antes que ▁tr il ogy ▁on ▁African - American ▁history , ▁beginning ▁with ▁Bel oved ▁( 1 9 8 7 ) ▁and ▁ending ▁with ▁Parad ise ▁( 1 9 9 7 ). ▁ ▁N arr ative ▁style ▁and ▁them es ▁The ▁novel ▁deliber ately ▁mirror s ▁the ▁music ▁of ▁its ▁title , ▁with ▁various ▁characters ▁" im pro vis ing " ▁solo ▁compos itions ▁that ▁fit ▁together ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁whole ▁work . ▁The ▁tone ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁also ▁sh ifts ▁with ▁these ▁compos itions , ▁from ▁bl ues y ▁l aments ▁to ▁up ▁beat , ▁sens ual ▁rag time . ▁The ▁novel ▁also ▁util izes ▁the ▁call - and - response ▁style ▁of ▁jazz ▁music , ▁allowing ▁the ▁characters ▁to ▁explore ▁the ▁same ▁events ▁from ▁different ▁pers pect ives . ▁ ▁This ▁book ▁also ▁features ▁" un tr ust worth y ▁narr ators " ▁whose ▁emot ions ▁and ▁perspective ▁colour ▁the ▁story . ▁N arr ation ▁switch es ▁every ▁so ▁often ▁to ▁the ▁view point ▁of ▁various ▁characters , ▁in animate ▁objects , ▁and ▁even ▁concepts