"I recommend this book to the world." - Robert Bausch, author of Gypsy Man, an Oprah Magazine book choice, and of A Hole in The Earth, New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Behind the marble monuments and elegant suits of the Washington, D.C. seen on the news, there's a city where 1 in 5 live in poverty, nearly half the children fail high school, and 41 percent of young black men spend time in prison. This is where Linda Thurston, a young community organizer, lives and works. She must help stop a new prison from being built in the heart of the city's poorest neighborhood, and prevent eight hundred residents from being evicted. But to do this, Linda needs to believe in herself again after her brother's death, and she must win the trust of the community's leader, Anita Douglas, who is secretly wrestling with her once unshakable faith in God. And together they need to help Luther Shaw, the campaign's lawyer, injured by gang violence, to overcome his bitterness. As Linda, Anita and Luther are forced to confront their own prejudices and fears, they come together across the black-white divide to heal a neighborhood. BEATING HEART is a profound and vivid journey into the neighborhoods that lie close to the White House, shut out from the American Dream. As you walk the streets with Linda, meet the residents and power-brokers who vie for control of the city and explore the city's forgotten river, you'll discover what it takes to make a difference in the lives of others, and the rewards and losses that come from having tried. BEATING HEART will appeal to readers of the books ACTS OF FAITH and THE HELP.