Silenced

the long version

"She gets lost in the fantasy of books and poetry. But in Tinka Hampton's all-too-real world, her mother Nicola has lost her job and is struggling to stop her family's fall into poverty. With her sons turning to drug dealing--and worse--Nicola wants better things for her daughter. Yet the more pressure she puts on Tinka to do everything right, the more she drives her away. . . straight into the arms of Nine, a man as irresistible as he is lethal. Now Nicola must make unimaginable choices that will put Tinka at a dangerous crossroads. Will standing up for her seemingly impossible dreams be her way out--or will they trap her on D.C.'s merciless streets forever?"--P. [4] of cover.