Picked by Terry McMillan for Today's Book Club. When Michael Datcher was growing up in inner-city Los Angeles, fatherlessness was the one thing he had in common with his friends. Every night their mothers returned home exhausted after working overtime to put food on the table, and they didn't have to speak a word to let their sons know the truth: Men were not to be trusted. But as a young man, having already committed petty theft, experimented with sex, and developed a mortal fear of police, Michael still had what he called "picket-fence" dreams. He also wondered who he would become and whether his fantasy of a loving wife and family could ever be possible. This is his dramatic story of faith lost and regained -a true story of uncommon courage and power told by a poet and journalist who received a second chance to make good on a promise to himself. Don't miss the Reading Group Guide , perfect for prompting further thoughts on, and discussion of, Raising Fences.