In spite of remarkable differences, Eric and Tommy are as close as brothers. Eric, a Nordic Adonis, is graced by a seemingly endless supply of good fortune. Tommy is a lame black boy, cursed with health problems, yet he remains optimistic and strong.After tragedy rips their makeshift family apart, the lives of these boys diverge astonishingly: Eric, the golden youth, is given everything but trusts nothing; Tommy, motherless and impoverished, has nothing, but feels lucky every day of his life. In a riveting story of modern-day resilience and redemption, the two confront separate challenges, and when circumstances reunite them years later, they draw on their extraordinary natures to confront a common enemy and, ultimately, save their lives.
Download and start listening now!
"This is a difficult novel to describe, but it was engrossing. Essentially, two boys - one black (Tommy) and one white (Eric) are raised as brothers. Each are formed by Tommy's mother, a remarkable woman with tremendous insight, knowledge and love, until she passes away suddenly. The "brothers" are then forced to live apart. The novel traces their lives in parallel fashion until the end when they are reunited." — Kate (4 out of 5 stars)
"This is a difficult novel to describe, but it was engrossing. Essentially, two boys - one black (Tommy) and one white (Eric) are raised as brothers. Each are formed by Tommy's mother, a remarkable woman with tremendous insight, knowledge and love, until she passes away suddenly. The "brothers" are then forced to live apart. The novel traces their lives in parallel fashion until the end when they are reunited."
“[Mosley] weaves the themes of race, destiny, and redemption into an astonishing tale of unlikely siblings and unconditional love.”
“With the lightest, slyest of touches, Mosley shows how a certain kind of inarticulate, carnal, involuntary affection transcends just about anything. It's not love, it’s fate, and it’s breathtaking.”
" I loved Lorraine Toussaint as a reader for this book. She took what would've have been a slow read and breathed life and personality into this story. "
" This book was incredible.I would recommend it to other young adults who like a good story. "
" Worst Walter Mosley book ever. I just thought it was badly written, and was shocked, because I usually love him. "
" discarded because i was listening it to audio-cd at work, and now i don't work there anymore. "
" Love this book! Such a great perspective on what makes a life. "
" This book was a little bit more "out there" than I expected/might have liked. It was entertaining though and I enjoyed reading it. "
" Listened to the wonderful audio version. "
" A story about one black boy and one white boy who grow up as brothers until the age of 6 then it compares how their lives become different when they are separated. "
" Read for Evening Edition Book Club 2/2007 "
" This review applies to the audio book -- highly recommended. The reader is outstanding, and the story and writing carries over well into the audiobook format. "
" I like Walter Mosley a lot. So even though this book had some moments where I struggled to suspend my disbelief, I let it go. I liked this book, the characters, all that. The story was sadmaking....but so's life. "
" I can't take this much cheese without a significant amount of wine. Had to quit on disc 5/8. "
" Depressing, substandard plot and cliche prose. "
" Two boys from different backgrounds, one ghetto one privledged live together due to life circumstances. These boys grow as close as brothers but a man comes between them in a way that alters their future which ends tragically. SO GREAT... I could see it being made into a movie. "
" I understood the author's message, and I even agree with it. My problem with the book was the author's style of writing. I need characters and dialogue to be believable, and these characters weren't. "
" Walter Mosley is one of my favorite authors. I like the characters that he develops in each of his stories. This story blended a little bit of reality with a little bit of imagination to capture a story of two brothers from different mothers. "
" A family that is not traditional, doses of dysfunction, racism, privilege and a story line that kept me interested from the beginning to the end. A little predictable, great character development and well worth the read. "
" A page turner. Deeply written. Characters so real I still think about them. What I learned from this book is that ONE thing can happen that can set your life on a course where you don't know if you are blessed or cursed. "
" A great story, great writing. Covers so much, I was emotionally involved with this story. I have purchased to others by the same author and plan on reading them soon. "
" Book on tape during the trip to Vancouver. Could listen to it the entire time, but I just didnt feel the point... "
" Walter Mosley can *write* "
" A book about love, and sacrifice. "
" I wasn't sure if I would like something other than a Mystery by Walter Mosley. This was great! "
" Too much sex. Tried to cover every issue...homelessness, drugs, teenage pregnancy, foster care, delinquent youth, suicide, etc. Too many ethnic issues too...black, white, Vietnamese, Latino, etc. "
" This story has several twists, it is a mystery, involves love, loyalty beyond social class or ethnicity. I feel like I need to read it again to be sure I am understanding it as it is meant. Interesting. "
" What a very strange, bizarre, yet delightful book. "
" A story that ends how you want it while breaking your heart. Bittersweet would be an understatement! "
" The kind of read I like. It has a good pace, keeps me interested, and no lulls in the action. It was a roller coaster ride throughout and in the end it left me wanting more, in a good way. "
" Great Book..I picked this book up for a last minute decision for bookclub and it turned out to be one of my favorite books that I have read so far. I am trying to find another book from this author...with hopes it is just as good. "
" This book is breaking my heart during my daily commute. I love the expressiveness of the children and how they use different ways to display the same depth of feeling. I am relating to little Tommy and just want to hold him and rock him to sleep. "
" This is a fantastic book. My husband and I listened to it on CD and we couldn't wait to get back in the car so we could continue listening! "
" reminds me of John Irving for some reason. maybe because of the large amount of time covered? Wow. Awesome book. Written simply, but grand in its scale. "
" This is the first book that I've read by Mosley and I didn't love it. The style was dry and completely devoid of any humor, almost just a telling of occurrences and I didn't really care for it. "
Walter Mosley is the New York Times author of more than fifty novels in several series, most notably fourteen Easy Rawlins mysteries, several of which have been made into major motion pictures. In 2020 he was a recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and from the National Book Foundation. In 2013, he was inducted into the New York State Writers Hall of Fame, and he is the winner of numerous awards, including an Edgar Award, O. Henry Award, the Mystery Writers of America’s Grand Master Award, PEN America’s Lifetime Achievement Award, a Grammy Award, and and several NAACP Image Awards. His work has been translated into twenty-five languages.
Lorraine Toussaint is an audiobook narrator and actor whose career in television and film has earned her four NAACP Image Award nominations. She is also the winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award.
Audiobooks Were Restored to Your Cart
[ShoppingCartItemsAddedOnMerge] audiobook(s) were left in your cart from a previous visit, and saved to your account for your convenience. You may view or remove these audiobooks on the shopping cart page.