by Jonathan Kozol (Get the Book)The children portrayed in Kozol's award-winning Rachel and Her Children (1987) and Amazing Grace (1995) have gone on to overcome or not the cruel inequities facing families marginalized by poverty, homelessness, and woefully inadequate public schools. Here Kozol returns to the scene of his previous work to trace the lives of Vicky and her children, Eric and Lisette, who moved from the Bronx to Montana with mixed success, and Alice, who struggles with HIV but maintains an abiding zest for life that she tempers with skepticism. He chronicles the lives of young boys who couldn't escape the low expectations of schools and the lure of the streets, landing in prison and meeting death at an early age while other young boys and girls went on to college and careers. Kozol reveals his own vulnerabilities during the 25 years he knew the families, including facing the illnesses and deaths of his parents. Through letters, phone calls, and visits, Kozol maintained close relationships over the years, mourning with families in their woes and rejoicing in their triumphs. This is an engaging look at the broader social implications of ignoring poverty as well as a very personal look at individuals struggling to overcome it. --Booklist
