This intense and powerful first work by a promising young author tells the story of a young girl caught up in the harrowing world of urban violence and of the man who tries to save her.A young Native American man in his first job after college encounters an amazing variety of people in his role as a social worker. Out of all these needy and desperate people he develops a strong bond with a young teenage girl named Nicki, one of the most unforgettable characters to walk off the page of a book. He becomes her role model and she becomes the one person he wants to save. The juxtaposition of these two characters creates the tension and the finale to this tough and tightly woven tale of contemporary urban life.