The Street

With a new introduction by Tayari Jones, Ann Petry’s groundbreaking debut novel, The Street, is a powerful and poignant portrayal of a young Black woman named Lutie Johnson as she navigates the challenges of poverty, racism, and sexism in 1940s Harlem in her pursuit of the American dream for herself and her son. Praised as a masterwork and the first novel by an African-American woman to sell over a million copies, it remains a compelling and resonant story that sheds light on enduring social issues.