WhenaHeartTurnsRockSolid

Employingasociologicalstorytellingmethod，Black，associateprofessorofsociologyattheUniversityofHartford，recountsthelivesofthreePuertoRicanbrotherslivinginpoor，gang-dominatedSpringfield，Mass.，whomhebefriendedandfollowedfor18years.Thebookisnotsomuchaboutthebrothers--Julio，FaustoandSammy--andtheirfriendsasitisabouttheculturalandsocialforcesandtheeconomicandpoliticalpoliciesthatinthelatterdecadesofthe20thcenturydeterminedtheboys'fatesandthefatesofthousandsofothers.Flawedbilingualeducationprogramsdoomedthemtovirtualilliteracy，whileharshdruglawswarehousedtheminarapidlyexpandingprisonsystem.Whiletheauthorprovidedconcreteformsofassistance--especiallyforthetwoyoungerbrothers，whobattledaddiction--thepullofthestreetaswellastheinadequacyoftheireducationledtofailedormarginallyproductivelives，evenforthemotivatedeldestson，Julio.，DepictsthelivesofthreestreetwisebrothersinSpringfield，Massachusettsoverthecourseofaneighteen-yearstudythatincludedinterviewswiththeirparents，girlfriends，coworkers，andcriminalpartnersandfollowingtheirexperienceswithdrugs，gangs，recovery，low-wagework，andfatherhood.，AWASHINGTONPOSTBESTBOOKOFTHEYEARThisprovocativeandcompellingbookexamineshowjobs，schools，thestreets，andprisonshaveshapedthelivesandchoicesofagenerationofPuertoRicanyouthattheturnofthetwenty-firstcentury.Atthecenterofthisrivetingaccount–basedonanunprecedentedeighteen-yearstudy–arethreeengaging，streetwisebrothersfromSpringfield，Massachusetts：Fausto，incarceratedforsevenyearsandinandoutofdrugtreatment，aninsightfulandsensitivestreetwarriorplayingontheedgesofself-destruction;Julio，thefamilypatriarch，aformergangmemberturnedtruckdriver，fiercelyloyaltohisfamilyandfriends;andSammy，astreetmaven，recoveringdrugaddict，fatheroffour，straddlingtworealms–theeverydayworldoflow-wageworkandtheallureofthedrugeconomy–asheshuttlesbetweenrecoveryandrelapse.TimothyBlackspentyearswiththebrothersandtheirparents，wivesandgirlfriends，extendedfamily，coworkers，criminalpartners，friends，teachers，lawyers，andcaseworkers.HecloselyobservedstreetlifeinSpringfield，includingthedrugtrade;schoolsandGEDprograms;courtrooms，prisons，anddrugtreatmentprograms;andtheyoungmen’sstruggleforemploymentbothonandoffthebooks.Thebrothers，articulateanddetermined，speakforthemselves，providingpowerfultestimonytotheexigenciesoflifelivedonthesocialandeconomicmargins.Theresultisasingularlydetailedandempatheticportraitofmenwhoareoftenregardedwithfearorsimplyrenderedinvisiblebysociety.Withprofoundlessonsregardingtheintersectionofsocialforcesandindividualchoices，Blacksucceedsinputtingahumanfaceonsomeofthemostimportantpublicpolicyissuesofourtime.，DepictsthelivesofthreestreetwisebrothersinSpringfield，Massachusetts，overthecourseofaneighteen-yearstudythatincludedinterviewswiththeirfamiliesandassociatesandfollowedtheirexperienceswithdrugs，gangs，recovery，low-wagework，andfatherhood.