First published 2011
The Kid sleeps under a causeway in South Florida, one of several registered sex offenders banished to this concrete wasteland. Fresh from prison, he survives on fast food and paranoia, cut off from family and any normal life. His world shifts when The Professor arrives, a massive man whose intellect matches his physical presence. The Professor takes interest in The Kid, offering guidance and something resembling friendship. But The Professor carries secrets of his own, a hidden past that threatens to destroy both men when it surfaces. As their unlikely bond deepens, each man must confront what brought him to this place beneath the bridge. The Kid faces the weight of his crimes and the possibility of redemption. The Professor's carefully constructed new identity begins to crumble. Banks weaves their stories together in a tale that exposes the contradictions of a society that demands punishment but offers no path back.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, mystery, crime, contemporary, social-issues
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, redemption
Setting: Florida, South Florida
417 pages · Hardcover
Content warnings: mental-illness, violence