Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City
What it's about
Andrea Elliott spent nearly a decade following Dasani Coates, a girl growing up in a New York City homeless shelter with her parents and seven siblings. Through Dasani's eyes, from childhood into young adulthood, the book shows what poverty, addiction, the shelter system and child welfare do to a family, and the fierce love and intelligence that keep this one going.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction and was named one of the ten best books of the year by The New York Times. It's one of the most powerful pieces of reporting on American poverty in a generation.
You'll love it if you liked
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America or Nickel and Dimed
Good to know
It's long and immersive, and it reads like a novel. Dasani's story is often heartbreaking, but she's an unforgettable person to spend time with.
Quick answers
Is Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction and was named one of the ten best books of the year by The New York Times. It ranks #155 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 84.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City about?
Andrea Elliott spent nearly a decade following Dasani Coates, a girl growing up in a New York City homeless shelter with her parents and seven siblings. Through Dasani's eyes, from childhood into young adulthood, the book shows what poverty, addiction, the shelter system and child welfare do to a family, and the fierce love and intelligence that keep this one going.
How long does it take to read Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City?
About 16 hours (625 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City won?
Pulitzer Prize (General Nonfiction) winner (2022).
What should I read after Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City?
If you liked it, try Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond, There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America by Brian Goldstone or Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich.
By the numbers
- Readers96 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics67 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller4 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz26 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Pulitzer Prize (General Nonfiction) winner (2022).
Where it ranks
- #31 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #26 of the 481 new books we rank
- #155 of the 2,819 books we rank
Won
- Pulitzer Prize (General Nonfiction) winner (2022)
Reads as
True story
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