<DIV>The streets are pitch black, but a different shade of darkness has engulfed the north Bronx neighborhood known as Edenwald. Sleepless nights, suspicion, and violence are plaguing the hood, all a result of rampant use of cocaine, known as "hard white" among residents. Two Edenwald residents, Melquan and Precious, have big dreams but must sever their ties to street life in order to realize them. A story of triumph and tribulations, beating the odds, and nail-biting drama, this novel deftly unravels the story of two lives hang precariously over the crucible of hard white.</DIV>