Show Me A Hero [Paperback]

Lisa Belkin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2000

Not in my backyard -- that's the refrain commonly invoked by property owners who oppose unwanted development. Such words assume a special ferocity when the development in question is public housing. Lisa Belkin penetrates the prejudices, myths, and heated emotions stirred by the most recent trend in public housing as she re-creates a landmark case in riveting detail, showing how a proposal to build scattered-site public housing in middle-class neighborhoods nearly destroyed an entire city and forever changed the lives of many of its citizens.
-- Public housing projects are being torn down throughout the United States. What will take their place? Show Me a Hero explores the answer.
-- An important and compelling work of narrative nonfiction in the tradition of J. Anthony Lukas's Common Ground.
-- A sweeping yet intimate group portrait that assesses the effects of public policy on individual human lives.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Back Bay Books (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316088641
• ISBN-13: 978-0316088640
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,279,056 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No such thing as a perfect hero, June 7, 2000

By 

Miriam Kadar - See all my reviews

This review is from: Show Me A Hero (Paperback)

Show Me a Hero is a stunningly complicated story about a simple everyday need: shelter. The youngest mayor of a city whose heyday passed long ago struggles to implement a judge's order to build housing for the poor on the city's historically white, middle class east side. Belkin takes the reader inside City Hall, underscoring the petty fights and politics, balancing the ridiculousness with moving tales of those who fight the housing to protect what's theirs, and of the women struggling to provide adequate housing for their children despite poverty, errant men, and poor health. There are surprising twists and turns, with a heartbreaking end that brings tears to the eyes of the most jaded reader.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book would make a great movie!, December 5, 2002

By 

patty t. (Manchester, MO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Show Me A Hero (Paperback)

One may not think a story of segregation would be that engrossing, but Ms. Belkin had a way of capturing the story from numerous angles. For instance, the author described the political climate and the history of Yonkers so well you could almost feel like you were there and you knew the individuals involved in the conflict. She describes how the youngest mayor ever elected to office in a city as large as Yonkers had an uphill battle from the time he was inaugurated. The struggle between the young mayor, Nick Wasicsko, his city council, and the judge that declared Yonkers to be guilty of deliberately discriminating against minorities, was fascinating. The tension between the warring parties held my attention.

Ms. Belkin continues to appeal to the reader by describing individuals living in Yonkers' public housing system. I began to understand their plight and how desperate they were to get out of a bad arrangement. Even though there are many characters introduced in this story, it is easy to keep track of them because Ms. Belkin does a wonderful job of describing them in detail and personalizing their quandary in the housing projects.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enthralling, May 14, 2008

By 

L. Mann "Books, Cats, Life is Good" (Southern California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Show Me A Hero (Paperback)

Lisa Belkin takes a subject which is potentially dry, and "not in my backyard," and leaves us informed and enlightened. She interweaves the personal stories of those whose futures were directly involved with the building of public housing in a middle-class neighborhood, while informing the reader about city politics in Yonkers, and the enigmatic young politician who tried to navigate them. Definitely recommended reading.