The novel is set in Los Angeles and follows a tenacious inner-city teen who is eventually a victim of many of the social evils that plague children in many low-income neighborhoods. In his once-happy family, he experienced love and grief, as well as violence, betrayal, and separation. His father's death, through a series of terrible events, becomes his breaking point, forcing him into homelessness and dangerous street life.

Becoming a street orphan, he succumbs to street life and is exposed to infamous gangsters who initiate him and take advantage of his yearning for parental supervision, financial security, and a safe haven from the awful realities of his soul. The teenager leads a risky life and eventually ends up in prison, where he is forced to survive prison life among inmates who are far more dangerous.

He sees a profitable opportunity to sell coffee to other inmates as a result of the desperate demand for food in prison. This commodity allows him to earn money while also allowing him to socialize with other inmates from all walks of life. It also provides him with a platform to learn and surround himself with self-proclaimed scholars and intellectuals who eventually bring him to spiritual enlightenment, changing the course of his destiny for the better.