Twelve original and interconnected stories in the traditions of Junot
Díaz and Sherman Alexie. Victor D. LaValle's astonishing, violent, and
funny debut offers harrowing glimpses at the vulnerable lives of young
people who struggle not only to come of age, but to survive the city
streets.
In "ancient history," two best friends graduating from high school fight
to be the one to leave first for a better world; each one wants to be
the fortunate son. In "pops," an African-American boy meets his father,
a white cop from Connecticut, and tries not to care. And in "kids on
colden street," a boy is momentarily uplifted by the arrival of a
younger sister only to discover that brutality leads only to brutality
in the natural order of things.
Written with raw candor, grit, and a cautious heart, slapboxing with
jesus introduces an exciting and bold new craftsman of contemporary
fiction. LaValle's voices echo long after their stories are told.