A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich is a 1973 young adult novel by American author Alice Childress.

Set in the American ghettos of Harlem, the novel tells the story of a teenage boy who struggles with the abandonment instilled by his biological father.

In order to feel wanted and a sense of euphoria in his dysfunctional life, he turns to drugs, becoming a product of his environment.

The novel is told from the perspective of several characters, centered around protagonist Benjie Johnson, a 13-year-old living in the urban ghetto of Harlem in the 1970s, who succumbs to the allure of heroin.

Benjie possesses great potential, but he takes a drastic turn when he starts experimenting with drugs.

Once encouraged by his friends, he gradually becomes addicted to heroin and tries to conceal the severity of his habits from those who care about him.

In an even further attempt to save Benjie, as a final resort, his mother goes to a root doctor in hopes of having her son cured of his addictions.

One night, Benjie sneaks into the apartment that his stepfather, Butler, had been staying in after his erratic behavior became unbearable.

Author Alice Childress depicts a deep exploration of the theme of addiction, specifically in the American ghettos of Harlem.

Childress indirectly addresses the theme of addiction as being considered an issue that is not caused solely by one's financial situation, environment, or oppression; instead, addiction is caused by a lack of social support and a need for systemic change.

In his attempt to cope with his father's abandonment, he hangs around the wrong crowd, which incites his heroin addiction.

She tries hard to fill the vacant role of Benjie's father, but her continuous attempts fail.

Jimmy feels slightly at fault for Benjie's drug use because he introduced him to his first marijuana high, which he no longer uses, as he wishes to be present in life.

He believes the drug epidemic in the community to be the cause of the ongoing oppression Whites have on the Blacks.

In his attempt to save Benjie from falling further into the trap of addiction, he turns him into the principal for being intoxicated.

Emma longs to be loved by a man and often criticizes the men around her for not being able to identify real beauty as a cause of her loneliness.

[2] Ed Bullins in The New York Times commented: "This surprisingly exciting, entertaining book demystifies the pusher and the problem he sells by centering on the unwitting victim, Benjie, and the disintegration of a black family.

The writer uses her considerable dramatic talents to expose a segment of society seldom spoken of above a whisper; she exposes the urban disease that hides behind the headlines of drug abuse, the child junkies, drug rehabilitation programs and the problem of sheer survival in the black urban community.

"[3] Kirkus Reviews called the novel "An unusually honest and forceful novel, told in trenchant language by a variety of people concerned with thirteen year-old Benjie.

[5][6] The book was adapted into a film in 1977 starring Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield and directed by Ralph Nelson.