▁" Life ▁for ▁me ▁ain ' t ▁been ▁no ▁cry stal ▁st air " ▁Lang ston ▁Hugh es ' s ▁poem ▁" M other ▁to ▁Son ". ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁No ▁Cry stal ▁St air ▁is ▁a ▁coming - of - age ▁story ▁set ▁in ▁the ▁Little ▁Burg und y ▁district ▁of ▁Montreal ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s . ▁ ▁W id ow ▁Mar ion ▁Will ow ▁works ▁at ▁two ▁jobs ▁to ▁raise ▁her ▁three ▁daughters ▁properly . ▁Fight ing ▁rac ism ▁and ▁sex ism , ▁Mar ion ▁schools ▁her ▁girls ▁in ▁man ners , ▁English ▁poetry ▁and ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁an ▁education ; ▁her ▁elegant ▁neighbour ▁and ▁rival ▁( both ▁women ▁are ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁railway ▁por ter ▁Edmund ▁Thompson ) ▁teach es ▁the ▁children ▁the ▁ways ▁of ▁the ▁street ▁and ▁their ▁black ▁cultural ▁her itage . ▁ ▁Major ▁them es ▁Two ▁them es ▁in ▁the ▁novel ▁run ▁through ▁No ▁Cry stal ▁St air : ▁passing ▁as ▁white ▁and ▁surv iving ▁as ▁black . ▁S ars field ▁rec ount s ▁a ▁story ▁about ▁the ▁desire ▁to ▁surv ive , ▁all ▁the ▁while ▁dep ict ing ▁the ▁cosm opol itan ▁Montreal ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁a ▁city ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁jazz ▁mus icians , ▁social ites , ▁artists ▁and ▁gang sters . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁No ▁Cry stal ▁St air ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁selected ▁nov els ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁edition ▁of ▁Canada ▁Read s , ▁where ▁it ▁was ▁def