Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City

Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City is a 2021 nonfiction book by New York Times journalist Andrea Elliott. It was awarded the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction. The book is centered around Dasani, an African American child growing up in poverty in New York City. Elliott followed Dasani and her family for eight years, documenting the opportunities and obstacles she encounters as she works to overcome generational poverty. Elliott originally produced a series of long-form articles for The New York Times, and then continued to follow the family as the work expanded into a book-length project. The work is part immersive journalism and part historical biography, as it traces the central family’s history back to slavery to explore themes of Agency Intervention and Surveillance, The Conflict Between Systemic Bias and Individual Responsibility, and The Lingering Effects of Poverty.

This study guide refers to the Kindle Edition published by Random House on October 5, 2021.

Content Warning: This source book and this guide include depictions of violence, including assault, domestic violence, sexual violence, murder, and violence against children. The guide also discusses slavery, poverty, individuals being unhoused, and substance abuse disorders.