Awards

• Commended for Street Literature Book Award Medal (Slbam) (Nonfiction) 2004

Overview

Selected as One of the Best Books of the 21st Century by The New York Times Set amid the havoc of the War on Drugs, this New York Times bestseller is an ""astonishingly intimate"" (New York magazine) chronicle of one family's triumphs and trials in the South Bronx of the 1990s. ""Unmatched in depth and power and grace. A profound, achingly beautiful work of narrative nonfiction...The standard-bearer of embedded reportage."" --Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted In her classic bestseller, journalist Adrian Nicole LeBlanc immerses readers in the world of one family with roots in the Bronx, New York. In 1989, LeBlanc approached Jessica, a young mother whose encounter with the carceral state is about to forever change the direction of her life. This meeting redirected LeBlanc's reporting, taking her past the perennial stories of crime and violence into the community of women and children who bear the brunt of the insidious violence of poverty. Her book bears witness to the teetering highs and devastating lows in the daily lives of Jessica, her family, and her expanding circle of friends. Set at the height of the War on Drugs, Random Family is a love story--an ode to the families that form us and the families we create for ourselves. Charting the tumultuous struggle of hope against deprivation over three generations, LeBlanc slips behind the statistics and comes back with a riveting, haunting, and distinctly American true story.

Full Product Details

9780743254434

Table of Contents

Reviews

Vogue A magnificent tour de force...An insider'snarrative that grips from the start. Newsweek Keenly observed, pitch-perfect...A dense, rich narrative that reads like a novel. Los Angeles Times A nonfiction Middlemarch of the underclass...A new benchmark in the field of immersion journalism. Alex Kotlowitzauthor of There Are No Children Here A remarkable piece of reportage abouta tucked-away corner of America...It's one compelling read. Janet Maslin The New York Times Mesmerizing...The artistry of this frank, enthralling book lies in the utter simplicity -- and careful, subtle selectivity -- with which LeBlanc plainly describes the determining events in what will now be unforgettable lives. Janet Maslin The New York Times Mesmerizing...The artistry of this frank, enthralling book lies in the utter simplicity -- and careful, subtle selectivity -- with which LeBlanc plainly describes the determining events in what will now be unforgettable lives. Vogue A magnificent tour de force...An insider's narrative that grips from the start. Los Angeles Times A nonfiction Middlemarch of the underclass...A new benchmark in the field of immersion journalism. Newsweek Keenly observed, pitch-perfect...A dense, rich narrative that reads like a novel. Alex Kotlowitz author of There Are No Children Here A remarkable piece of reportage about a tucked-away corner of America... It's one compelling read. Los Angeles Times A nonfiction Middlemarch of the underclass...A new benchmark in the field of immersion journalism. Newsweek Keenly observed, pitch-perfect...A dense, rich narrative that reads like a novel. Janet Maslin The New York Times Mesmerizing...The artistry of this frank, enthralling book lies in the utter simplicity -- and careful, subtle selectivity -- with which LeBlanc plainly describes the determining events in what will now be unforgettable lives. Vogue A magnificent tour de force...An insider's narrative that grips from the start. Alex Kotlowitz author of There Are No Children Here A remarkable piece of reportage about a tucked-away corner of America... It's one compelling read. Janet Maslin The New York Times Mesmerizing...The artistry of this frank, enthralling book lies in the utter simplicity -- and careful, subtle selectivity -- with which LeBlanc plainly describes the determining events in what will now be unforgettable lives. Alex Kotlowitzauthor of There Are No Children Here A remarkable piece of reportage abouta tucked-away corner of America...It's one compelling read. Los Angeles Times A nonfiction Middlemarch of the underclass...A new benchmark in the field of immersion journalism. Newsweek Keenly observed, pitch-perfect...A dense, rich narrative that reads like a novel. Vogue A magnificent tour de force...An insider'snarrative that grips from the start.

Los Angeles Times A nonfiction Middlemarch of the underclass...A new benchmark in the field of immersion journalism. Newsweek Keenly observed, pitch-perfect...A dense, rich narrative that reads like a novel. Janet Maslin The New York Times Mesmerizing...The artistry of this frank, enthralling book lies in the utter simplicity -- and careful, subtle selectivity -- with which LeBlanc plainly describes the determining events in what will now be unforgettable lives. Vogue A magnificent tour de force...An insider's narrative that grips from the start. Alex Kotlowitz author of There Are No Children Here A remarkable piece of reportage about a tucked-away corner of America... It's one compelling read.

Los Angeles Times A nonfiction Middlemarch of the underclass...A new benchmark in the field of immersion journalism. Newsweek Keenly observed, pitch-perfect...A dense, rich narrative that reads like a novel. Vogue A magnificent tour de force...An insider's narrative that grips from the start. Alex Kotlowitz author of There Are No Children Here A remarkable piece of reportage about a tucked-away corner of America... It's one compelling read. Janet Maslin The New York Times Mesmerizing...The artistry of this frank, enthralling book lies in the utter simplicity -- and careful, subtle selectivity -- with which LeBlanc plainly describes the determining events in what will now be unforgettable lives.

Alex Kotlowitz author of There Are No Children Here A remarkable piece of reportage about a tucked-away corner of America... It's one compelling read. Los Angeles Times A nonfiction Middlemarch of the underclass...A new benchmark in the field of immersion journalism. Newsweek Keenly observed, pitch-perfect...A dense, rich narrative that reads like a novel. Janet Maslin The New York Times Mesmerizing...The artistry of this frank, enthralling book lies in the utter simplicity -- and careful, subtle selectivity -- with which LeBlanc plainly describes the determining events in what will now be unforgettable lives. Vogue A magnificent tour de force...An insider's narrative that grips from the start.

Author Information

Adrian Nicole LeBlanc is the daughter of a union organizer and a bookkeeper. She is a contributor to The New York Times Magazine and other publications. She has also been the recipient of numerous awards, including a MacArthur Fellowship, a Bunting Fellowship from Radcliffe, and a MacDowell Colony residency. She lives in Manhattan.

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