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The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark
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The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League Hardback - 2014

by Jeff Hobbs

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Reader reviews for The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League

From the publisher

A heartfelt, and riveting biography of the short life of a talented young African-American man who escapes the slums of Newark for Yale University only to succumb to the dangers of the streets--and of one's own nature--when he returns home.

When author Jeff Hobbs arrived at Yale University, he became fast friends with the man who would be his college roommate for four years, Robert Peace. Robert's life was rough from the beginning in the crime-ridden streets of Newark in the 1980s, with his father in jail and his mother earning less than $15,000 a year. But Robert was a brilliant student, and it was supposed to get easier when he was accepted to Yale, where he studied molecular biochemistry and biophysics. But it didn't get easier. Robert carried with him the difficult dual nature of his existence, "fronting" in Yale, and at home.

Through an honest rendering of Robert's relationships--with his struggling mother, with his incarcerated father, with his teachers and friends and fellow drug dealers--The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace encompasses the most enduring conflicts in America: race, class, drugs, community, imprisonment, education, family, friendship, and love. It's about the collision of two fiercely insular worlds--the ivy-covered campus of Yale University and Newark, New Jersey, and the difficulty of going from one to the other and then back again. It's about poverty, the challenges of single motherhood, and the struggle to find male role models in a community where a man is more likely to go to prison than to college. It's about reaching one's greatest potential and taking responsibility for your family no matter the cost. It's about trying to live a decent life in America. But most all the story is about the tragic life of one singular brilliant young man. His end, a violent one, is heartbreaking and powerful and unforgettable.

Details

  • Title The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League
  • Author Jeff Hobbs
  • Binding Hardback
  • Edition [ Edition: Repri
  • Pages 416
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Scribner Book Company, U.S.A.
  • Publication date 2014-09-23
  • Illustrated Yes
  • Features Bibliography, Illustrated
  • ISBN 9781476731902 / 147673190X
  • Weight 1.25 lbs (0.57 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.3 in (23.37 x 16.26 x 3.30 cm)
  • Reading level 1220
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: 1980's
    • Chronological Period: 1990's
    • Chronological Period: 21st Century
    • Demographic Orientation: Urban
    • Ethnic Orientation: African American
    • Geographic Orientation: Connecticut
    • Geographic Orientation: New Jersey
    • Locality: New Haven-Bridgeport, CT
    • Locality: Newark, N.J.
  • Category Biography / Autobiography
  • Library of Congress subjects African American college graduates, Yale University - Alumni and alumnae
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2014001213
  • Dewey Decimal Code B

Media reviews

Citations

  • Booklist, 09/15/2014, Page 17
  • Booklist Ed Choice Adu Bk YA's, 01/01/2015, Page 14
  • Booklist Editors Choice/Adult, 01/01/2015, Page 8
  • Entertainment Weekly, 10/10/2014, Page 69
  • Essence, 12/01/2014, Page 66
  • Kirkus Best Nonfiction, 12/01/2014, Page 25
  • Kirkus Reviews, 08/01/2014, Page 0
  • Library Journal, 09/01/2014, Page 129
  • Library Journal Prepub Alert, 04/01/2014, Page 68
  • New York Times Book Review, 09/21/2014, Page 1
  • New Yorker (The), 11/03/2014, Page 95
  • NY Times Notable Bks of Year, 12/07/2014, Page 28
  • People Weekly, 09/29/2014, Page 50
  • Publishers Weekly, 07/28/2014, Page 0
  • Publishers Weekly Best Books, 11/03/2014, Page 36
  • Shelf Awareness, 09/26/2014, Page 0

About the author

Jeff Hobbs is the New York Times bestselling author of The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace, which won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, was a finalist for the Pen/Faulkner Award in Biography, was a finalist for the Carnegie Medal in nonfiction, and was made into the film Rob Peace. His most recent book, Seeking Shelter, won the J. Anthony Lukas Prize and the California Book Award for nonfiction, and was named a best book of the year by The New Yorker. He has taught nonfiction writing at Yale University, was a Guggenheim Fellow, and is also the author of Show Them You're Good and Children of the State. He lives in Los Angeles with his family.

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The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League
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The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League

by Hobbs, Jeff

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9781476731902 / 147673190x
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The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League
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The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League

by Hobbs, Jeff

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The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League
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The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League

by Hobbs, Jeff

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The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League
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The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League

by Hobbs, Jeff

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  • Hardback
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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781476731902 / 147673190X
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The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League
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The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League

by Hobbs, Jeff

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781476731902 / 147673190x
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The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League
Stock photo: cover may vary

The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League

by Hobbs, Jeff

  • Used
  • Very good
  • Hardback
Condition
Very good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781476731902 / 147673190X
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1
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Description:
Scribner Book Company, 2014. Hardcover. Very Good. Former library book; Missing dust jacket; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace : A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League

The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace : A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League

by Jeff Hobbs

  • Used
  • Good
  • Hardback
Condition
Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781476731902 / 147673190X
Quantity available
2
Seller
Item price
A$9.46
Free Delivery to USA

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Description:
Scribner, 2014. Hardcover. Good. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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A$9.46
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The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace : A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League

The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace : A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League

by Jeff Hobbs

  • Used
  • Very good
  • Hardback
Condition
Very good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781476731902 / 147673190X
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$9.46
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Scribner, 2014. Hardcover. Very Good. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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Item price
A$9.46
Free Delivery to USA
The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace : A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League

The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace : A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League

by Jeff Hobbs

  • Used
  • Good
  • Hardback
Condition
Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781476731902 / 147673190X
Quantity available
3
Seller
Item price
A$9.46
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Scribner, 2014. Hardcover. Good. Missing dust jacket; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$9.46
Free Delivery to USA
The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace : A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League

The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace : A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League

by Jeff Hobbs

  • Used
  • Good
  • Hardback
Condition
Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781476731902 / 147673190X
Quantity available
3
Seller
Item price
A$9.46
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Scribner, 2014. Hardcover. Good. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$9.46
Free Delivery to USA