Book description
The crime-infested intersection of West Fayette and Monroe Streets is
well-known--and cautiously avoided--by most of Baltimore. But this
notorious corner's 24-hour open-air drug market provides the economic
fuel for a dying neighborhood. David Simon, an award-winning author and
crime reporter, and Edward Burns, a 20-year veteran of the urban drug
war, tell the chilling story of this desolate crossroad. Through the
eyes of one broken family--two drug-addicted adults and their smart,
vulnerable 15-year-old son, DeAndre McCollough--Simon and Burns examine
the sinister realities of inner cities across the country and
unflinchingly assess why law enforcement policies, moral crusades, and
the welfare system have accomplished so little. This extraordinary book
is a crucial look at the price of the drug culture and the poignant
scenes of hope, caring, and love that astonishingly rise in the midst of
a place America has abandoned.
