📖 Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in an American City
By Andrea Elliott
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Nonfiction 2022

An Unflinching Exploration of Poverty in America
Invisible Child is an extraordinary and deeply moving work of nonfiction by Andrea Elliott, which chronicles the life of Dasani Coates, a young Black girl growing up in poverty in New York City. Through the lens of Dasani’s struggles and triumphs, Elliott shines a light on the systemic challenges that impoverished children face in America today.

🌍 A Child of the Homeless Crisis
At the heart of Invisible Child is Dasani, an eleven-year-old girl living in one of the city’s most infamous homeless shelters in Brooklyn. She is the eldest of eight siblings, and her family battles the crushing forces of poverty, addiction, and bureaucratic neglect. Despite these overwhelming odds, Dasani is resilient, resourceful, and determined to rise above her circumstances. Her story unfolds over the course of eight years, capturing the highs and lows of her life.

🔍 A Comprehensive Look at the Cycle of Poverty
Elliott doesn’t just tell Dasani’s personal story; she explores the larger socio-economic and political systems that contribute to the cycle of poverty. By weaving in the history of housing policies, welfare programs, and racial inequality, Invisible Child offers a sharp critique of how America’s institutions have failed its most vulnerable citizens.

Elliott’s meticulous research takes readers inside the shelters, schools, and courtrooms that shape the lives of homeless families. She also explores the psychological toll that homelessness and poverty take on children, showing how it affects their education, mental health, and future opportunities.

💔 The Emotional Impact of Childhood Homelessness
Dasani’s story is filled with moments of hope, but also many moments of despair. Her family’s journey is marked by frequent moves, food insecurity, and interactions with the child welfare system. Elliott paints a vivid portrait of the emotional struggles these children endure, from dashed dreams to moments of joy that are few and far between. At the core of Dasani’s story is her love for her family, especially her younger siblings, whom she tries to protect from the harsh realities of their world.

📚 A Pulitzer-Winning Masterpiece
Invisible Child is not just a piece of journalism—it is a profound exploration of the American Dream and who gets to achieve it. Through Elliott’s empathetic, detailed reporting, readers come to know Dasani as more than just a statistic—she becomes a symbol of the millions of children who are caught in the cycle of poverty and homelessness.

Andrea Elliott won the Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction in 2022 for this remarkable book, cementing her work as one of the most important explorations of poverty and inequality in modern-day America.

Praise for Invisible Child:

• "A masterwork of narrative nonfiction" – The New York Times
• "A powerful, heartbreaking story that demands to be heard" – NPR
• "One of the most important books of the decade" – Kirkus Reviews
• "An extraordinary portrait of poverty and resilience" – The Washington Post

📚 For Readers Who Enjoy:

• Books about social justice, poverty, and systemic inequality.
• Evicted by Matthew Desmond and Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich.
• Narrative nonfiction that blends personal storytelling with in-depth journalism.