The More Than Words double bottom line: Every purchase provides hands on job training opportunities, and all revenue supports our nonprofit to empower youth to take charge of their lives. Massive change is afoot in America, and these characters have front-row seats. With prose that's sharp, humorous, and poetic, Asim skillfully renders a compelling portrait of urban life in the wake of the last major civil-rights bill. Meanwhile, Charlotte Divine, the doctor's headstrong protégée, struggles with trials of her own. Artinces Noel, a prominent pediatrician, complicates his retirement plans. His erstwhile boss, local kingpin Ananias Goode, is also thinking about slowing down-but his tempestuous affair with Dr. His debut book of poems, Stop and Frisk, was published in 2020. 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. Jabari Asim is the author of seven books for adultsincluding We Can’t Breathe: On Black Lives, White Lies, and the Art of Survival and eleven books for children. Asim manages the highbrow without it ever feeling forced or pedanticno small feat given the hard-boiled narrative framework, but one made possible by his infectious love for his subject matter and characters. Against a 1970s backdrop of rapid social and political change, Only the Strong portrays the challenges and rewards of love in a quintessential American community where heartbreak and violence are seldom far away. Praise for Jabari Asim's ONLY THE STRONG: 'A heartfelt, polyphonic ode to 1970s black America.

Jabari Asim's debut novel returns readers to Gateway City, the fictional Midwestern city first explored in his acclaimed short story collection, Taste of Honey. he was the only African-American books editor in the country. 'Lean, mean, and moving.' - Kirkus Reviews, Kirkus Prize nominee Join the virtual discussion with author Jabari Asim and Harvard Book Stores Lily Rugo on Jan. 'Incomparable charisma and verve.' - The Root, Best Fiction of 2015 'Captivating.' -Jane Ciabattari, NPR Book Concierge: Best Books of 2015

Only the Strong by Jabari Asim