Surviving the South Side of Chicago: Evette Patterson's fight for survival

Surviving the South Side of Chicago is a hard-hitting, emotional, and inspirational book that chronicles the life of a struggling single African American mother and her two kids living in the dangerous West Englewood community on the south side of Chicago. The book depicts the many struggles Ms. Patterson and her family faced after moving to West Englewood from the quiet suburb of Wheaton, Illinois.

The book author Tron Griffin grew up in the Auburn Gresham community on the south side of Chicago. Griffin drew on his experience with living on the south side and attending high school in West Englewood.