First published 1999
When a hit and run driver strikes Devlin, the child psychologist says nothing about the accident. Soon after, he witnesses a street shooting that kills a woman and impulsively takes her infant. Devlin cannot explain why he kidnapped the baby. Searching for meaning, he decides to open a martial arts school in one of Baltimore's most dangerous neighborhoods. His students are young Black men from rival gangs who deal crack and carry guns. Devlin believes taekwondo discipline can channel their violence into self control. For a brief time, his dojo becomes a refuge from the chaos outside. But the peace cannot last. Through multiple voices, the novel reveals two worlds falling apart. White America suffers from individual depression while Black communities face collective despair. The story counts down like the children's rhyme about ten little Indians, where only one remains standing.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, crime, contemporary, psychological-thriller, african-american-historical-fiction
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, redemption, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Baltimore
Period: Contemporary
268 pages · Paperback · Actes Sud
Content warnings: child-abuse, violence