Author Guide · Narrative Nonfiction
Books Written by
In the late 1980s Adrian Nicole LeBlanc began following a young woman named Jessica, the girlfriend of a heroin dealer in the Bronx, and her friend Coco. She stayed with them, their children and their families for more than a decade, through prison sentences, moves, pregnancies and the long grind of poverty. The result, Random Family, is one of the most admired works of immersion journalism of its time. This guide covers her book and what to read next.
By Lisanne Swart · 1 books · Narrative nonfiction · 2003 · Updated October 2026
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Quick answer
Adrian Nicole LeBlanc has published one book: Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx (2003), the result of more than ten years spent with two young women and their families in the Bronx. She received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2006.
Where to Start with Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
Her one book
→ Random Family (2003).
The Book by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
Random Family
Jessica and Coco grow up in the Bronx in the 1980s and 1990s; Jessica falls in love with a heroin dealer and ends up in federal prison, Coco raises her children in a series of apartments and shelters. LeBlanc follows them, their partners and their children for more than a decade, without judgement and in close detail.
How Many Books Did Adrian Nicole LeBlanc Write?
One book, published in 2003.
- Nonfiction — Random Family (2003). Read the entries →
How to Read Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
There is only one book. It is often taught alongside Alex Kotlowitz's There Are No Children Here as a model of immersion reporting.
A reading path
1. Random Family (2003)
At a glance
Quick facts about Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
- Known for
- Adrian Nicole LeBlanc is known for Random Family, immersion journalism built on more than ten years spent with two young women and their families in the Bronx.
- Honours
- MacArthur Fellowship, 2006
- Method
- More than ten years of reporting with one group of families
- Book
- Random Family (2003)
One book, more than ten years in the making: Random Family (2003), followed by a MacArthur Fellowship in 2006.
How Adrian Nicole LeBlanc Works: A Decade of Attention
LeBlanc's method is time. She spent more than ten years with the families in Random Family, often staying with them, so that the book records not dramatic moments but the slow accumulation of daily life.
She keeps herself almost entirely out of the narrative and avoids commentary, letting the details of her subjects' choices and constraints speak for themselves.
Watch
Adrian Nicole LeBlanc on Random Family
Adrian Nicole LeBlanc discusses Random Family, her book following young people in the Bronx, at The John Adams Institute in Amsterdam on 28 April 2004. From the official John Adams Institute channel.
Frequently asked questions about Adrian Nicole LeBlanc's books
How many books has Adrian Nicole LeBlanc written?
Adrian Nicole LeBlanc has published one book, Random Family (2003).
What is Random Family about?
Random Family (2003) follows two young women, Jessica and Coco, and their families in the Bronx over more than a decade, through love, drugs, prison and poverty.
How long did Adrian Nicole LeBlanc spend reporting Random Family?
She spent more than ten years with the families she wrote about.
Footnotes
Bibliography last verified 1 October 2026.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all hers.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
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