In and out of prison, in and out of homes and shelters for the homeless, in and out of employment, romance and poverty - the women and the children compile families, support systems, from whatever material they find at hand, for however long it lasts. The men drift, domineer and disappear. It's absolutely another world, and yet, of course, it's yours, with the bass and treble turned up. There are no authorial intrusions, no judgements, no visible steering and so this story reads like a novel, an old-fashioned novel that is all character, dialogue and plot, albeit one whose subject matter would have made even Mrs Gaskell stutter.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Every American should read this book:
This is nonfiction about a culture most Americans know nothing about. It is a revealing look into a lifestyle that includes welfare, drugs, single motherhood, sexual abuse, and domestic abuse. If you ever find yourself asking "How could they live like that?" or "How do people get to that place?", this book is for you.
It was alright..:
This story was an ok read. There were too many characters to keep my attention on the storyline. I think this book is a little overrated with all the five star reviews on Amazon. I learned a couple of things about the Bronx and how Puerto Ricans live, but besides that it was just alright. Rating 3.5 -4.0
Excellent!:
This is not the genre that I normally read, however, it was written very well and really gives you an inside look to life "on the streets" and the affect that it has on all involved...was same experience as viewing documentary on television. Highly recommend it.
PAGE TURNER:
For me this book was so real, and the characters moved me so much, I wished so much to read more! It almost left me hanging and thinking about their future!
