The Lines Between Us

Two Families and a Quest to Cross Baltimore’s Racial Divide

The crisscrossing stories of Mark, a white devout Christian who sells his suburban home to move to Baltimore’s inner city, and Nicole, a Black mother determined to leave West Baltimore for the suburbs, chronicle how the region became so deeply segregated and why these fault lines persist today.

Mark and Nicole personify the enormous disparities in access to safe housing, educational opportunities, and decent jobs. As these characters pack up their lives and change places, journalist Lawrence Lanahan examines what it will take to save our cities and communities: Do we put money into poor, segregated neighborhoods? Or do we move families out into areas with more opportunity?

This eye-opening account of how a city creates its Black, White, rich, and poor spaces suggests that these problems are not intractable, but that they are destined to persist until each of us - despite living in separate worlds - understands that we have something at stake.

©2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC (P)2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Awesome book!

This book gives a great historical context into structural racism and the perseverance of the people of Baltimore. It was insightful and relates to the struggles Baltimore has today (2026). I highly recommend for anyone wanting to learn and educate themselves. It is also important to note that though this is Baltimore’s story, there are many untold stories in other cities across our country. We can all learn a lesson from this powerful, well researched and enlightening book.