Author Adrian Nicole LeBlanc's idea for Random Family, which was published in 2003 by Scribner, was born out of her article for Newsday about the trial of an infamous heroin dealer named "Boy George," who became so wildly successful that many onlookers wondered why he didn't get caught sooner than he did. But the publication of LeBlanc's book came more than ten years after her original article. She became consumed with research and wanted to ensure she was able to fully capture the desperation that many American women felt as a result of their experiences with drugs, jail, and being mothers–oftentimes having no support or partner to help them navigate the world.
At its core, Random Family is a book about poverty and a book about the way that difficult economic conditions force people to make difficult and oftentimes uncomfortable decisions. Although Random Family is non-fiction, it is told in narrative form. Specifically, it follows two women who are trying to find their way in life. One of those women, Jessica, is in a relationship with the aforementioned "Boy George," who brings her down a difficult path. The other is named Coco, who becomes enthralled with Jessica's brother, who is likewise involved in the drug scene.
Random Family is widely regarded as one of the finest works of nonfiction in the 21st century. Critics praised the book for its ability to distill the feelings and lives of a certain subsets of the United States. In a retrospective of the book for The New York Times Book Review, Margaret Talbot called LeBlanc's book "extraordinary" and said it "reads like fiction." Because of Random Family in fact, LeBlanc was given the McArthur, or so-called "Genius," grant, funding her next work, signaling the importance of Random Family (and her unique perspective on the world and the downtrodden more specifically).
