There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz

Growing up too fast in America’s inner cities -A landmark work of narrative nonfiction. 
 
There Are No Children Here offers an unflinching, compassionate look at childhood, poverty, and resilience inside a Chicago housing project.
 
Based on years of immersive reporting, Alex Kotlowitz follows two brothers, Lafeyette and Pharoah Rivers, as they navigate daily life in the Henry Horner Homes on Chicago’s West Side. Through their experiences—and those of their family and neighbors—the book exposes the harsh realities of violence, systemic inequality, and limited opportunity, while also capturing moments of hope, humor, and determination.
 
Written with clarity and empathy, this is narrative journalism at its most impactful, giving voice to lives too often overlooked. Powerful and deeply human, it remains as urgent today as when it was first published.