Ten Mile River

Best friends Ray and José are on their own and on the run. They hide out in Ten Mile River, a wildwood Harlem park. Street-smart José and bookish, introspective Ray are closer than brothers until they meet the beautiful Trini. She’s clever and confident, and they both fall for her. But somehow Ray has to find a different future for himself.

Paul Griffin’s spare, moving prose and uncanny ear for dialogue is guaranteed to win many fans. Ten Mile River is a stunning debut novel about survival and friendship on the streets of New York City.

Praise for Ten Mile River:

‘Tom and Huck for a new era, a new generation. This book’s got balls and beauty in equal measure.’

Phillip Gwynne

‘I love the rough and tumble of Ray and Jose’s relationship. I’ve never been to Ten Mile River but this story about the curse of brotherhood rings true.’

Scot Gardner

‘A striking debut…The language is tough but convincing, the setting authentic, the characters memorable and their struggles played out with a complexity that respects the audience’s intelligence.’

Publishers Weekly

‘The most powerful feature of the book is the friendship between the boys, captured in all its contradictions…The loyalty that is so often portrayed as wholly positive has its downfalls here. This and the open ending are just two of the complexities that raise Ten Mile River above the ordinary. …grittily credible.’

Age