Captivating. --Jane Ciabattari, NPR Book Concierge: Best Books of
2015
Incomparable charisma and verve. --The Root, Best Fiction of 2015
Lean, mean, and moving. --Kirkus Reviews, Kirkus Prize nominee
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. 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.
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, 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.
