But Where’s Home?: A Novella and Stories

It’s 1963 in the small town of Monroe, New York. The Arringtons, a Black family, buy a house in a picturesque, all-white neighborhood. Some residents are welcoming—but many are not. Dr. Philip Arrington, his wife Velma, and their daughters Livia and Maddie face both overt hostility and subtle resistance as they attempt to build a life in a community that doesn’t want them there.

But Where’s Home? is Toni Ann Johnson’s latest collection of linked short stories exploring the sometimes painful, often humorous experiences of an upper-middle-class Black family in a predominantly white, working-class town. A follow-up to her award-winning collection Light Skin Gone to Waste, this book continues the story of the Arrington family through shifting perspectives and moments in time—from the 1960s through 2022.

We meet the eldest daughter, longing for her father’s affection while fighting for independence; the youngest, determined to rise above her childhood wounds through music and love; a father who counsels others as a psychologist while cheating with white women; and a mother managing infidelity and isolation while trying to raise her daughters in a place that sees them as outsiders.

Profound, funny, and unflinchingly honest, But Where’s Home? explores racism, classism, narcissism, abuse, and complicated family dynamics. Through deeply human characters and sharp storytelling, Johnson invites readers to confront the realities of Black life in America and reflect on what it truly means to belong.