Both a novel of constantly surprising entertainment and a tale of breathtaking literary power, Magic Street is a masterwork from a supremely gifted, utterly original American writer--a novel that uses realism and fantasy to delight, challenge, and satisfy on the most profound levels.

In a peaceful, prosperous African-American neighborhood in Los Angeles lives Mack Street, a mystery child. Abandoned by his birth mother and raised by a blunt-speaking single woman, Mack passes from family to family, a boy surrounded by people yet deeply alone. He realizes how different he is from others the day he sees, in a thin slice of space, a narrow house. Passing through the magic house that no one else can see, Mack is plunged into a realm in which time and reality are skewed. Inside, what Mack does has strange effects on the ''real world'' of concrete, cars, commerce, and conflict. Growing into a tall, powerful young man and pursuing a forbidden relationship, Mack becomes a player in an epic drama. Understanding this drama is Mack's challenge. His reward, if he can survive the trip, is discovering who he really is and why he exists.