Jumia Books Hold You Down by Tracy Brown

Hold You Down by Tracy Brown is a contemporary urban fiction novel set in New York City during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The story follows two sisters, Mercy and Lenox Howard, who grew up on the tough streets of Harlem with an absentee mother. As young, single mothers, they are determined to survive and raise their two sons, Deon and Judah, who have been raised more like brothers than cousins and share a close bond.

Mercy is the quiet, straight-laced hospital administrator with dreams of owning her own restaurant, while Lenox is the wild child seeking excitement and a big break in life and love. Lenox's choices, driven by her pursuit of success and power, drastically alter the course of both her and her family’s lives.