Blacker Than a Thousand Midnights

"A writer of exceptional gifts and grace." --Joyce Carol Oates

A young fireman battles to provide for his family--and struggles to avoid the traps of crime and poverty that surround him.

A resident of impoverished Rio Seco, California, Darnell Tucker works part-time as the lone black member of the fire department. Cutbacks to the state budget force him to search for new work, and the low-paying positions he finds rival firefighting in their peril. His path blocked by economics, institutionalized racism, and the dangers of the place he lives, Darnell must find a way to persevere. Blacker Than a Thousand Midnights is a stark and thoroughly convincing portrait of life on the margins.