Set in East Harlem during the mid-1980s, this novel centers on three women whose lives intersect following the murder of a twelve-year-old boy. When a local resident reports the discovery of the child's body, the event reverberates throughout the neighborhood, affecting families, clergy, and community members. As the boy's mother seeks answers, issues of grief, friendship, drug activity, policing, and community activism emerge. Against the backdrop of New York City in 1986, the narrative portrays the social and economic challenges facing the neighborhood and examines collective responses to loss and injustice.