E. R. Frankās seminal first novel weaves together the stories of eleven teenagers in one city over seven years in this groundbreaking and āimpressive debutā (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
Why does Gingerbread always have a smile on his face? āBecause life is funny,ā he tells Keisha. But for herāand almost everyone else in her Brooklyn neighborhoodāthere doesnāt seem to be much to laugh about.
China, Ebony, and Grace are best friends, but Graceās mother isnāt crazy about her being friends with two girls who arenāt white, and each cut Ebony makes on her wrist seems to drive them even further apart.
Just across the schoolyard thereās Eric who has to raise his younger brother Mickey, even though no one expects him to amount to anything. Meanwhile, Soniaās Muslim parents expect everything of her, and it may be more than she is able to give after she suffers a shattering loss.
When Drew brings his fatherās Jaguar into Samās familyās auto body shop across town they seem to be from opposite sides of the tracks, but Drewās the one hiding a dark family secret. And heās not the only one.