‘Yo,’ Ray said. ‘Thanks for savin my wretched lame-ass life.’

‘Say thanks again and I’ll kill you. Anyway, I did it to spite you.’

‘Yeah, huh?’

‘Son, dyin’s easy. It’s the livin that worries me. Gonna let you drown, leave me to face the craziness on my own?’

Best friends Ray and Jose are not your typical teenagers. They’re on their own and on the run. Escaping foster care and juvenile detention, they hide out in a wildwood Harlem park called Ten Mile River. Street-smart Jose and bookish, introspective Ray are closer than brothers until they meet Trini. She’s clever, beautiful, and confident, and they both fall for her immediately. As tension creeps into the boys’ friendship, Ray must struggle to find a future for himself beyond Ten Mile River.

Imagine Mice and Men meets Good Will Hunting and you’ll have an idea of Ten Mile River - a compelling debut novel about survival and friendship on the streets of New York City.

Paul Griffin’s spare, moving prose and uncanny ear for authentic dialogue is guaranteed to garner many fans.