Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx

Adrian Nicole LeBlanc

Oct 2012 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

Selected as One of the Best Books of the 21st Century by The New York Times

* “An insider’s narrative that grips from the start." —Vogue * “Unmatched in depth and power and grace. A profound, achingly beautiful work of narrative nonfiction.” —Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted *

This New York Times bestseller is an "astonishingly intimate" (New York magazine) and harrowing chronicle of drugs, poverty, and three generations of women in the South Bronx.

In her extraordinary bestseller, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc immerses readers in the intricacies of the ghetto, revealing the true sagas lurking behind the headlines of gangsta glamour, gold-drenched drug dealers, and street-corner society. Focusing on two romances—Jessica’s dizzying infatuation with a hugely successful young heroin dealer, Boy George, and Coco’s first love with Jessica's little brother, Cesar—Random Family is the story of young people trying to outrun their destinies. Jessica and Boy George ride the wild adventure between riches and ruin, while Coco and Cesar stick closer to the street, all four caught in a precarious dance between survival and death. Friends get murdered; the DEA and FBI investigate Boy George; Cesar becomes a fugitive; Jessica and Coco endure homelessness, betrayal, the heartbreaking separation of prison, and, throughout it all, the insidious damage of poverty.

Charting the tumultuous cycle of the generations—as girls become mothers, boys become criminals, and hope struggles against deprivation—LeBlanc slips behind the cold statistics and sensationalism and comes back with a haunting true story that is a "riveting portrait of the other America" (People).

Ratings and reviews

My favorite book of all time. Everyone needs to read this, especially if you think you know what living in extreme poverty is like. You have no idea... Hopefully this book opens some eyes to what's going on in EVERY city of the USA.

A friend bought me this book as a bday gift. No exaggeration when I say it had all my attention. I could barely pay attention at work or home. Kust a few pages in & I was stuck like glue. I couldn't stop flipping through the pages w/ curiosity. I would love to see this as a movie or documentary. A must read ♥

I had read previous reviews of how great this book was and I couldn't wait to start. Just like others I could not stop reading it and finished it within a couple of days. Turely made me feel as if I was right there living the experiences with Jessica and coco. Highly recommend it.

About the author

Adrian Nicole LeBlanc's first book, Random Family, was a New York Times Bestseller, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the winner of The Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and the Ridenhour Book Prize. LeBlanc's work has been published in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Esquire, Elle, Spin, The Source, The Village Voice, and other magazines. LeBlanc lives in Manhattan.