Hold Love Strong

by Matthew Aaron Goodman

Book Overview

Born to a thirteen-year-old in the bathroom of his family's small apartment, Abraham Singleton enters a world laden with the obstacles inherent in an impoverished urban community. But when his mother becomes addicted to crack and his uncle--the family's basketball prodigy and their potential ticket out of poverty--is arrested and convicted, the last glimmer of hope is extinguished. Then a college scholarship offers Abraham a way out, but what...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416562044
• ISBN13: 9781416562047
• Release Date: March 2010
• Publisher: Touchstone Books
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.6" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Strong Love Holding

Imagine sitting down listening to a friend describe their life growing up before you knew them. A life you did not know he lived. This is how you will feel when reading Hold Love Strong by Mathew Aaron Goodman. Abraham Singleton, the narrator, tells of his coming-of-age in the Ever Park Housing Project in Queens, New York. The author's matter-of-fact, yet intimate, tone will grab you through poetic language as he unfolds the Singleton family story of love, hope, and just living day-to-day. The story begins at Abraham's birth on the bathroom floor to his 13 year-old mother and his grandmother naming him not for the president but "Like for the old man in the Bible that God said was gonna be the father of a great people as numerous as the stars." The reader is guided by Abraham as time passes and the Singleton family confronts love, loss, drugs and incarceration and their individual turmoil. There is Angela, his mother, who once Abraham is beyond a young child needs to find a replacement for a child's devotion; Aunt Rhonda, who believes that love will set her free but yet cannot commit to a relationship until she faces her inner fear; Uncle Roosevelt, as the oldest male understands the path for his family's survival, but will the necessities of today defer that goal?; cousin Donnell whose behavior is both destructive and life saving, which behavior will lead to the family's survival?; and grandmother, Gloria who keeps hope moving for her family yet refuses to give into hope for herself. Through these characters we watch Abraham mature and learn that life lessons are not always easy nor are they the ones we want to learn. While most of the story progresses in a linear manner, there are times when Abraham speaks as an adult in the present time as if responding to a question from the listener/reader. These chapters are brief but rich in framing the story. When Abraham explains to his listener/reader what it was like living in Ever Park he says, "We breathed in dying and lived in dying as if dying and the baggage that came with dying were normal, like everywhere in the world..." How matter-of-a-fact some of us take our lives and what we will expect from life if we follow the rules. Reading Hold Love Strong will add to your understanding that rules can be followed but sometimes it is not necessarily the rules that will lead you to success. I recommend this book to readers of literary fiction and street lit. Readers of literary fiction will enjoy the well-written story with well-developed characters and readers of street lit will enjoy the familiar story told slightly different but with the urban and drama elements. Reviewed by Beverly APOOO BookClub June 14, 2009

Read Hold Love Strong

I didn't know much about this book before reading it, but am happy I did. Goodman does an amazing job in carrying the reader scene to scene, his in-depth descriptions and insight allow the reader to get a clear sense of the narrator's surroundings. You can see the places, smell the smells and feel the air in the book as story progresses. In the end, I felt like I knew the characters, understood their lives, and shared their emotions, even though they are so very far from my own. Goodman's writing carries this book from beginning to end, and it's well worth the journey. It's great.

Hold Love Strong

I just finished reading this novel. I felt that I got real world insight into the lives of the men women and children living in the projects. Mr Goodman has brought to life the fears anxieties and reality of such living conditions. I was moved to tears by the last couple of chapters. I'd look forward to the next story of Abraham's coming of age in college.

Hold Love Strong

This book was a true page-turner. Goodman seems so wise and worldly, it is hard to believe he is a young writer. His writing is so vivid and real I felt like I was living in the projects with no way to get on with life. But still I had hope and longing. Goodman's writing skill is so poetic. I want to read the sequel and learn what happens to Abraham and the rest of his family. I have recommended Hold Love Strong to my book club. Now my husband is reading it and can't put it down. Don't miss this opportunity. This is a book for all ages and backgrounds. Hold Love Strong: A Novel

Hold Love Strong is an excellent read

I just finished reading "Hold Love Strong" and I loved it. The book is so well written and sometimes beautifully written - brought tears to my eyes twice. The book is a novel, but Abraham's voice (the narrator) rings so true, that you could imagine this book is an autobiography. The characters are fully developed and well rounded so that we see their good points as well as their flaws. I highly recommend Love Hold Strong.