joanne boyd

Incredible read that takes you into places you tend not to want to be, so it's shocking and a painful but fascinating read. To truly understand racism and the violence that comes out of poverty, you have to hear the language and be immersed in its source as well as the damage it causes. It's not a pretty story. The characters are real, flawed, multidimensional and so so human--expertly drawn. The explosion of anger and fear over the desegregation of Boston's schools in the 1970s is the backdrop to a family crisis story.