Description
Chicago High School senior David Albacore is dealing with major upheaval after his father murders his mom. David blames himself for not saving her that night; after being injured in a basketball game, he was given strong painkillers and slept through the shooting. In the terrible aftermath, he changes his name and moves to a tough new inner-city Chicago high school, where he and his sisters Barney and Linda move in with their aunt. With their mother gone and their father in jail, David tries his best to take care of his sisters. But when, after getting in too many fights, he is given the choice to either join the basketball team or be expelled, he chooses basketball, even though it cuts into the after-school construction job that he uses to supplement his aunt’s income.
As David ponders trying for a basketball scholarship or keeping his construction job, Aunt Edie’s stroke eliminates most of David’s options. He can keep his family together by working full time, or follow his mom’s dream of college, which would send Barney into foster care.