List $24.95

Written by Alex Kotlowitz - Audio book performed by Stanley Tucci - Abridged Fiction - Abridgement approved by author - 4 CASSETTES - 5.25 hours

Publisher, Bantam Doubleday Dell (1998)

A story of two towns, a death and America's dilemma. In "The Other Side of the River," Kotlowitz brings listeners to two Michigan towns, St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. Separated by the St. Joseph River, they are geographically close, yet worlds apart: St. Joseph is a ninety-five percent white, prosperous lakeshore community, while Benton Harbor is impoverished and ninety-two percent black. When the body of a black teenaged boy from Benton Harbor is found in the river, unhealed wounds and suspicions between the two towns' populations surface as well. The investigation into Eric McGinnis' death inevitably becomes a screen onto which each community projects its resentments and fears. This powerful story challenges us to think about our own assumptions about race no matter which side of the river we live on. In this gripping and ultimately profound work, Kotlowitz proves why he is one of this country's foremost writers on the ever-explosive issue of race.