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Monique is a heavy drinker and drug addict. She stops doing drugs after serving jail timebut she turns a blind eye to her husband's abuses. She even calls the kids liars for yearsangry that they sent her beloved husband to prison. Jordan physically abuses the whole family and sexually abuses Angel. He helps his family in times of illness but only when he feels like it. When Monique is recovering from her accidenthe gets her drugs and has her wash them down with beer so he won't have to deal with her. Aunt Queen serves as a loving mother figure to Gerald when his mom is in jail. Gerald calls her presence a power sourceproviding love and security. Mr. Washington steps in to help Gerald and Angel rid their lives of abuse. He continues to be a longtime supportchecking in on them regularly and having them in his home whenever they needed a safe haven.
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Forged by fire
As a teenager, Gerald finds success as a member of the Hazelwood Tigers basketball team, while Angel develops her talents as a dancer. Trouble still haunts them, however, and Gerald learns, painfully, that young friends can die and old enemies must be faced. In the end he must stand up to his stepfather alone in a blazing confrontation.
Sharon M. Draper has interwoven characters and events from her previous novel, Tears of a Tiger, in this unflinchingly realistic portrayal of poverty and child abuse. It is an inspiring story of a young man who rises above the tragic circumstances of his life by drawing on the love and strength of family and friends.