by Dawn Staley
First published 2027
Dawn Staley dribbles down the cracked asphalt courts of North Philadelphia, where every pickup game carries the weight of neighborhood pride and family expectations. The teenage point guard faces a choice between staying close to her mother who sacrificed everything for her children and chasing a basketball scholarship that could change her life forever. As Dawn perfects her crossover and studies the game's mental aspects, she learns that leadership extends far beyond the court. Her mother's quiet strength teaches her about resilience while the streets of North Philly show her the difference between surviving and thriving. Dawn must decide whether leaving her community behind means abandoning the values that shaped her or honoring them by reaching heights no one from her block has ever achieved.
Genres: family-life, african-american, biography-memoir, basketball
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
Setting: North Philadelphia
256 pages · Paperback · Atria/Black Privilege Publishing