I understand why the writer wrote this as she did, but I will damn never never be okay with a white character being used as a framing device to tell black women's stories. Just be brave and write the black characters' stories without needing to use a white character's journey as a way to make it palatable for certain masses. 
 I will say that the novel works far better than the film. That just made me RAGE in ways that aren't to be believed.