American Gospel

By Miah Jeffra

Book Overview

A low-income Baltimore neighborhood is targeted for a controversial urban renewal project-- an amusement park in the theme of Baltimore itself-- that forces its residents to reckon with racism, displacement, and their futures. Peter Cryer is a queer teenager who fantasizes about leaving Baltimore and the instability of his home life while also seeking a place to belong. Ruth Anne, his prickly mother, is terrorized by her estranged husband and the indecision of what to do after the wrecking ball comes through her neighborhood. Thomas, a cleric and History teacher at Peter's school, questions his vocation in the face of the neighborhood's destruction. These three voices braid together a portrait of a neighborhood in flux, the role of community and violence in our time, and the struggles of a very real and oft misunderstood city.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1625570430
• ISBN13: 9781625570437
• Release Date: March 2023
• Publisher: Black Lawrence Press
• Length: 372 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.5"