Central square

Central Square is set in the Cambridge, Massachusetts neighborhood between Harvard and MIT, where gentrification threatens the community's diversity and character.

The novel follows several disparate characters, including Joe, an enigmatic African immigrant who is mistaken for African American and discovers that this misunderstanding generates unexpected opportunities; Paula, a social worker intensified by loneliness; and Eric, a struggling writer whose work is ignored by the world.

As these characters collide with circumstances and each other, Packer's bold novel explores themes of race, poverty, class, and the unattainable balance between private life and community.