The novel is set in Harlem in the early 1970s. The central character, Benjie Johnson, says that his home is variously referred to as "a slum," "a ghetto," or "the inner city," but that it is the same depressing place by any name. As the title implies, this world lacks heroes; drugs are readily available, and both home and school environments seem unstable. The novel takes place in the winter, and Benjie feels that the season's bleakness and coldness typify his life. Against the gray backdrop of poverty, pain, and separation, human efforts to triumph over circumstances stand out in brilliant, sometimes pitiful, contrast.