Lost in the City (1992)

There is much faith but little redemption in this first collection of stories recently nominated for a National Book award. Set in Washington, D.C., and peopled by African-Americans, Lost in the City provides a different view of family values from that being hawked this election year. From the daughter of a murderer to the illiterate mother of a school-bound child, Edward P. Jones' characters manage to assemble their lives out of dashed hopes and unshakable allegiances. A-