In this gritty and evocative novel, readers are introduced to a young Black woman living in Oakland who, struggling to keep her family afloat after being abandoned by her mother and incarcerated by her brother, turns to sex work to survive. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she becomes entangled with a corrupt police department, exposing systemic abuse and sparking a complex journey through the criminal justice system. The protagonist's resilience and the poetic exploration of her inner world offer a raw and powerful examination of race, poverty, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of institutional betrayal and personal adversity.

This novel tells the story of a young boy named Eddie who is left to fend for himself after his mother, a widow and crack addict, disappears. Eddie's mother has been lured into a corrupt and brutal farming operation, where workers are treated like slaves and kept addicted to drugs. The narrative alternates between Eddie's desperate search for his mother and his mother's struggles within the exploitative system, both of them battling against the destructive influence of addiction and systemic racism.

The play explores the struggles and complexities of class and social mobility through the lens of Margie Walsh, a sharp-tongued single mother from South Boston. After losing her job at a dollar store, Margie reaches out to an old flame, now a successful doctor, in hopes of finding employment. As their past and present collide, the narrative delves into themes of opportunity, resilience, and the challenging question of whether individuals can truly escape the circumstances of their birth. The interactions between characters reveal the intricate dynamics of old friendships, the judgments we make, and the role that luck plays in the American Dream.

This novel explores the lives of two families in New York City during the 2008 financial crisis. One family is a wealthy couple who live a luxurious lifestyle due to their Wall Street connections, while the other family is a pair of Cameroonian immigrants who are trying to make ends meet. As the financial crisis hits, both families face challenges that test their relationships, their dreams, and their understanding of the American Dream.