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Only the Strong Audiobook
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Moved by the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., Lorenzo "Guts" Tolliver decides to abandon his career as a professional leg-breaker and pursue a life of quiet moments and generous helpings of banana pudding in the company of his new, sensuous lover. His erstwhile boss, local kingpin Ananias Goode, is also thinking about slowing down—but his tempestuous affair with Dr. Artinces Noel, a prominent pediatrician, complicates his retirement plans. Meanwhile, Charlotte Divine, the doctor's headstrong protégée, struggles with trials of her own.
With prose that's sharp, humorous, and poetic, Jabari Asim skillfully renders a compelling portrait of urban life in the wake of the last major civil-rights bill. Massive change is afoot in America, and these characters have front-row seats.
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“An epic saga of 1970s African American life in a Midwestern city is neatly, deftly, and evocatively compressed into three tales with overlapping characters—and destinies…You will rarely find a historical novel that’s as panoramic yet also as lean, mean, and moving as this.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
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"[A] heartfelt, polyphonic ode to 1970s black America….[revealing] his infectious love for his subject matter and characters.”
— Wall Street Journal -
“Like Sherwood Anderson, Asim creates a vibrant portrait of a community based on distinctive characters with convincing gifts and flaws. Engrossing storytelling.”
— BBC.com -
“What makes this novel engaging is how the author evokes a place, a physical and emotional geography…a vision of the complex moral texture of an urban black community, both historically and psychically.”
— Washington Post -
“Three separate but connected stories filled with fully realized characters and settings…[an] excellent piece of urban realism.”
— Library Journal (starred review) -
“Narrator J. D. Jackson’s deep voice sets the masculine tone for this novel…Jackson captures the gritty nature of urban life against the backdrop of the fight for civil rights.”
— AudioFile -
“Only the Strong is a lushly atmospheric and passionately written piece of work, bursting with colorful characters that shine on every page.”
— Bernice L. McFadden, author of Gathering of Waters -
You will rarely find a historical novel that's as panoramic yet also as lean, mean, and moving as this.
— Kirkus Starred review
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About Jabari Asim
Jabari Asim is a writer and multidisciplinary artist. He has written many nonfiction books, two novels, and books for children. He directs the MFA degree program in creative writing at Emerson College, where he is also the Elma Lewis Distinguished Fellow in Social Justice. He has written for the Washington Post and is the former editor-in-chief of the NCAAP magazine The Crisis.
About JD Jackson
JD Jackson is a theater professor, aspiring stage director, and award-winning audiobook narrator. He is a classically trained actor, and his television and film credits include roles on House, ER, Law & Order, Hack, Sherrybaby, Diary of a City Priest, and Lucky Number Slevin. He is the recipient of more than a dozen Earphones Awards for narration and an Odyssey Honor for G. Neri’s Ghetto Cowboy, and he was also named one of AudioFile magazine’s Best Voices of the Year for 2012 and 2013. An adjunct professor at Los Angeles Southwest College, he has an MFA in theater from Temple University.