At twenty-two years old, Ty'ree, the oldest of three brothers, is now caring for his younger siblings. Lafayette, twelve, is still grieving and blames himself for not being able to save his mother, who died from an insulin shock two years earlier; and Charlie, fifteen, has just returned from Rahway Home for Boys where he has been imprisoned for the last two years after being convicted of armed robbery. Ty'ree and Lafayette have built a stable, if quiet, relationship and are comforted by predictable daily routines. Charlie introduces an element of chaos, negativity, and hostility, to which neither of his brothers is able to relate. In response, they begin talking to each other in a way they have not been able to previously. They fear for Charlie and want to help him overcome his anger and grief. In attempting to help Charlie, they end up working through their grief together as well. The story is told almost exclusively through dialogue with little action actually taking place.
Characters
Ty'ree - The oldest brother and legal guardian of the younger two siblings. Although Ty'ree is a strong and responsible man, he is also bitter because his mother's death has forced him to take on a series of jobs rather than attend college, which he had been preparing to do when she died. He is also dealing with issues stemming from witnessing when
Charlie/New Charlie - Anger is overwhelming the middle brother. He is fifteen and has already served time for armed robbery. If he gets into trouble again, social services will take him from Ty'ree, making him a ward of the state. On his return home, he is welcomed back by his old friends, and they expect him to act as he did before he left. Charlie is torn between his family's need for him to become a responsible brother to them and his friends' pressure to become one with the street.
Lafayette - 'Laf' feels that he is responsible for his mother passing away, because he was the one who found her in a diabetic coma and could do nothing to save her. He has withdrawn into himself, building a wall around himself to keep from getting close to anyone again. He is both the main character and the narrator.
Development history
Woodson wrote this novel in two locations, Whidbey Island off the coast of Seattle, Washington and in Olivebridge, NY. Her goal in writing the book was to create a work with no female characters and to explore what it's like to grow up poor. "I also wanted to write about how hard it is to lose someone you love—in this case, both parents—and how that pain starts shaping itself into other things sometimes like anger and isolation."
A six-episode television series based on the novel premiered on The N in February 2005. In 2001, the book was released as an audiobook. Actor Dule Hill, was given positive reviews for his narration due to his use of staccato, halting vocalizations which underlined the uncertainty of the characters. The abrupt delivery is then contrasted to his softer voice when speaking the memories of the boy's mother. "Hill's narrative style lends a necessary strength to this gritty story of survival in the face of enormous odds." Publishers Weekly's review also called Hill's performance 'powerful' and commends him for his delivery, which adds resonance to Woodson's message of love and hope.
