noughts and crosses

noughts and crosses is a book written by Malorie Blackman. It is about a friendship between Sephy hadley, a cross and daughter of important cross, and Callum McGregor, a nought. This novel describes an alternative histoiry where humans evolved while Pangae was still intact. Without the barriers to exchange of domesticable animals, among other factors, the African people gained technological and organized advantage and organizational advantage over the Europeans rather than the other way around, and made Europeans their slaves. At the time of the story, slavery has been abolished, but Jim-Crow type segregation operates to keep the Crosses (the Africans) in control of the noughts (Europeans). Also, the close proximity of the various nations of the world in a single supercontinent and the lack of natural defences have forced the nations of the world to learn to cooperate. An organization called the Pangaean Economic Community exists, and seems to be similar to the United Nations in scope but similar to the European Union in powers, and it is playing a role in forcing change.
Sephy Hadley is a Cross (meaning that she has dark skin) and the daughter of a wealthy politician named Kamal. Callum McGregor is a nought (meaning that he has light skin). They used to play together when Jasmine Hadley (Sephy's mother) employed Meggie McGregor (Callum's mother) as a Nanny. However, Jasmine fired her when Meggie could not provide an alibi for Jasmine when her husband confronted her about his suspicions of her infidelity (this is only revealed later in the novel, though it is strongly implied). Since then, Sephy and Callum's friendship has been secret. As best friends, their relationship is frowned upon by society, in the same way that interracial friendships in the Southern United States were thought of before 1960, but in reverse.
Callum is one of the first noughts to start at Heathcroft High, a school for mainly Crosses and only the highest performing Noughts. Sephy is