In the first book of a drama-drenched new series, four unforgettable women will do anything to escape the hood.

From their front stoops at Bentley Manor, longtime residents Miz Osceola and Miz Cleo have seen just about everything and know all too well that there's no happily-ever-after in the projects. There's only the desperate need to get out by any means possible.

Aisha has what every other ghetto girl envies: a loving man who supplies her with all the fashion, money, and accessories that scream "hood success." Now that her...