{"product_id":"the-short-and-tragic-life-of-robert-peace-jeff-hobbs-9781476731919","title":"The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace | Jeff Hobbs","description":"\u003ch2\u003eThe Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League | Jeff Hobbs\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"\u003eNow a major motion picture—Rob Peace—starring Jay Will, Mary J. Blige, and Chiwetel Ejiofor\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBest Book of the Year Honor:\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd More\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe New York Times bestselling account of a young African-American man who escaped Newark, NJ, to attend Yale, but still faced the dangers of the streets when he returned is, “nuanced and shattering” (People) and “mesmeric” (The New York Times Book Review).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"\u003eBut it didn’t get easier. Robert carried with him the difficult dual nature of his existence, trying to fit in at Yale, and at home on breaks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA compelling and honest portrait of Robert’s relationships—with his struggling mother, with his incarcerated father, with his teachers and friends—\u003cem\u003eThe Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace\u003c\/em\u003e encompasses the most enduring conflicts in America: race, class, drugs, community, imprisonment, education, family, friendship, and love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s about the collision of two fiercely insular worlds—the ivy-covered campus of Yale University and the slums of Newark, New Jersey, and the difficulty of going from one to the other and then back again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"\u003eIt’s about trying to live a decent life in America.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut most all this “fresh, compelling” (The Washington Post) story is about the tragic life of one singular brilliant young man.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis end, a violent one, is heartbreaking and powerful and “a haunting American tragedy for our times” (Entertainment Weekly).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFrequently Asked Questions About \u003cem\u003eThe Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace\u003c\/em\u003e:\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQ: \u003c\/strong\u003eIs this book a traditional, authorized biography or an independent account?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA: \u003c\/strong\u003eIt is a deeply personal, intimate biography written by Jeff Hobbs, who was Robert Peace’s close friend and Yale University roommate for four years. Hobbs spent years interviewing Peace’s mother, friends, classmates, and neighbors to piece together a fully realized, complex portrait rather than a detached journalistic report.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQ:\u003c\/strong\u003e What is the primary conflict and social narrative driving this true story?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA: \u003c\/strong\u003eThe book explores the intense psychological fracture of a brilliant young man straddling two completely incompatible worlds. Robert Peace was a molecular biochemistry genius who escaped the crime-ridden streets of Newark to graduate from an Ivy League university, yet he remained deeply tethered to his home neighborhood, ultimately leading a double life as a high-level marijuana dealer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQ:\u003c\/strong\u003e Does the book deal heavily with systemic social issues, or is it strictly a personal timeline?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA:\u003c\/strong\u003e It serves as a major work of social commentary. Through Robert's personal timeline, the text provides a heartbreaking, unvarnished look at institutional racism, the failures of the American prison system (chronicling his father's murder conviction), the immense pressures placed on underprivileged students in elite spaces, and the invisible traps of urban poverty.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQ: \u003c\/strong\u003eIs the tone of the book overly dramatic, sensationalized, or judgmental?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA: \u003c\/strong\u003eNot at all. Critics widely praise Hobbs for writing with incredible empathy, nuance, and balance. The narrative never treats Robert as a mere statistic or a cautionary tale; instead, it honors his immense kindness, loyalty, and fierce intelligence while refusing to shy away from his tragic flaws and dangerous choices.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQ: \u003c\/strong\u003eWas this biography adapted into a film or television production?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes. The book was adapted into a critically acclaimed feature film titled Rob Peace, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Written and directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, the film brought renewed global attention to the powerful themes of identity and tragedy explored throughout the text.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the Author:\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJeff Hobbs:\u003c\/strong\u003e Author\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJeff Hobbs \u003c\/strong\u003eis the New York Times bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eThe Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace\u003c\/em\u003e, which won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, was a finalist for the \u003cstrong\u003ePen\/Faulkner Award \u003c\/strong\u003ein Biography, was a finalist for the \u003cstrong\u003eCarnegie Medal\u003c\/strong\u003e in nonfiction, and was made into the film Rob Peace.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis most recent book, \u003cem\u003eSeeking Shelter\u003c\/em\u003e, won the \u003cstrong\u003eJ. Anthony Lukas Prize\u003c\/strong\u003e and the \u003cstrong\u003eCalifornia Book Award \u003c\/strong\u003efor 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 \u003cem\u003eShow Them You’re Good\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eChildren of the State\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"\u003eHe lives in Los Angeles with his family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBibliographic Data:\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFull Title: \u003c\/strong\u003eThe Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor(s):\u003c\/strong\u003e Jeff Hobbs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher \u0026amp; Imprint: \u003c\/strong\u003eScribner (An imprint of Simon \u0026amp; Schuster)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date: \u003c\/strong\u003eJuly 28, 2015 (Original hardcover published September 2014)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBook Binding:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paperback\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition: \u003c\/strong\u003ePre-Owned \/ Very Good\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEdition: \u003c\/strong\u003eReprint \/ Trade Paperback Edition\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 416\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLanguage: \u003c\/strong\u003eEnglish\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eISBN-13: \u003c\/strong\u003e9781476731919\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eISBN-10: \u003c\/strong\u003e1476731911\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLibrary of Congress (LCCN): \u003c\/strong\u003e2014002677\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrimary Genre (BISAC): \u003c\/strong\u003eBIOGRAPHY \u0026amp; AUTOBIOGRAPHY \/ Cultural, Ethnic \u0026amp; Regional \/ African American \u0026amp; Black\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSub-Genres (BISAC): \u003c\/strong\u003eSOCIAL SCIENCE \/ Social Classes \u0026amp; Economic Disparity; BIOGRAPHY \u0026amp; AUTOBIOGRAPHY \/ Personal Memoirs; SOCIAL SCIENCE \/ Criminology\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions: \u003c\/strong\u003e5.5 x 1.0 x 8.44 inches\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight: \u003c\/strong\u003e11.2 oz (approx. 0.70 lbs)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Bust-Down Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49955196633403,"sku":"1476731918","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0855\/2077\/7531\/files\/9781476731919.jpg?v=1787150116","url":"https:\/\/bustdownbooks.com\/products\/the-short-and-tragic-life-of-robert-peace-jeff-hobbs-9781476731919","provider":"Bust-Down Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}