Carried by Six: A Novel of Urban Bravery in America (PB) (2020)

" . . . a fast paced, page turning story of a black community determined to rid itself of the drug-driven plague of crime and violence. . . . It entertains, ennobles, and inspires." --Darlene Clark Hine, co-author, The African-American Odyssey

"Ballard keeps it real and writes with power and authority." --John Herritage, Staff Inspector (Ret.), New York State Police

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Obie Bullock, leader of a Philadelphia anti-violence group (the Mau-Mau), returns home from his janitor's job early one morning and stumbles upon a crime scene--someone has just slit the throat of a police officer.

Armed with the officer's recovered revolver, Obie, an Iraq war vet, corners and kills the masked assassin, who turns out to be the youngest brother of a powerful, but imprisoned drug dealer.

Demands for revenge follow, sparking the fast-paced action while simultaneously examining the lives of a working-class family struggling to survive in the projects of Philadelphia.

Character-based, authentic, and gripping, this novel exposes the difficulties and danger of working to rid a neighborhood of drugs and violence so that future generations can grow up safe and secure.