The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace

A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League

By: Jeff Hobbs

Narrated by: George Newbern

Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2014 Simon & Schuster Audio (P)2014 Jeff Hobbs

Hard to be a Nerd

There is a difficult subtext to this engrossing tale. Rob Peace was a brilliant kid who managed to overcome poverty and a father in jail to graduate with a degree in molecular biology and biophysics, one of the toughest science programs at Yale. He was popular, studious and funny. But then Rob slid into a life of petty crime and dispiriting restlessness. What happened?

Rob and his buddies, his "Burger Boyz," came together as a study group in their Newark neighborhood, promising students at a prestigious private school that focused on providing discipline as well as a strong education to disadvantaged kids. The boys were constantly torn between their ambitions to succeed and the peer pressures of their neighborhoods. Outside their homes, drug dealing and violence were common and admission to Yale could be seen as a disgrace, an unacceptable rejection of those staying in the neighborhood. Rob had a strong ethical sense, but he was also loyal to those he knew on the streets, the old friends of his equally smart but unlucky father. After college, he kept falling back into patterns of weakness. His end was not inevitable, but there is a strong sense that the "real Rob" could not have abandoned the friends and neighbors of his childhood for the more typical career of a Yale graduate.

Jeff Hobbs is an excellent writer, wrestling quietly with the underlying societal issues that held back and sabotaged Rob and so many of his friends. The book is compelling in its first half, through Yale graduation. It bogs down a little after Rob's graduation, as he aimlessly travels the world, dabbling with various business plans, legal and sometimes not. There is so much sadness and even anger at the way Rob's rocket ship of a life fizzled out.

The narrator was very good. By the end of the book, the reader misses both Rob and the sympathetic author's voice.

Amazing!!!

With this being my first "Audible" book, I really was impressed. The story was absolutely the best introduction to this amazing Amazon product. Listening to this book made me wish my commute to work was longer. I was fully enraptured in the story, especially coming from a similar background trying to code switch and live amongst different factions. It's hard to balance it all, so listening to someone trying to do the same helped me not to feel alone. I love this story, can't wait for the movie. Jeff Hobbs did his thing!

Brilliant

I selected this book when it was offered as a special promotion. I'm not sure that I would have gotten it otherwise. The intimacy that the author shared with the subject made the story very personal and unforgetable. I have listened to almost 500 books and I have never heard a better narration. This book would probably not be for someone who cannot find redeeming qualities in troubled individuals but if you can appreciate all of life's complexities this book will not dissapoint.

The Title Says It All

What made the experience of listening to The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace the most enjoyable?

This book had a lot of backstory told in a manner that did not seem to be crucial to the story. Only after listening to the book you realize how crucial the details were to understanding the character.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace?

I like the dynamic between the main character and his mother. Even in the end, Robert's mother was strong - she had to be that way to survive her whole life.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I could not wait to listen. Very easy narration that you can almost picture yourself sitting with the characters and being a participant in their lives. I was invested in Robert and found myself rooting for his success and mourning his loss.

Any additional comments?

Not your typical "live by the sword, die by the sword", lesson. It made me sad to thing here stood someone that had greatness in his grasp but could not overcome the get ahead at all costs lifestyle. Very heartfelt and a tragic loss. With Robert Peace's death, also the dream of many died too. Everyone was rooting for his success but Robert. Very sad lesson about taking success for granted and squandering promise and opportunity.

beautifully written, honest and thoughtful

this was a really beautifully written, honest and thoughtful book. highly recommend this story to anyone feeling lost

So Very Sad:(

This was a very good and tragic story. I was saddened about his life being cut short. Rob was not built for the life as a drug dealer. He never saw it coming. Growing up around drug dealers myself, the one that betrayed him, that guy that worked for him was suppose to be dealt with.

amazing story. tragic...but remarkable

great book. Rob was an amazing man. great life with a sad ending.

Truth

Really interesting story. Truly captured the mentality and struggle many people from impoverished backgrounds face.

amazing story

loved this. really felt like a fly on the wall in his life. thanks for this, Jeff Hobbs.

thought provoking sad tragic

such a sad, tragic and very thought provoking book . It was hard to put down.