A Taste of Honey: Stories

By Jabari Asim

Poignant and powerful, this debut collection from preeminent writer and critic Jabari Asim heralds his arrival as an exciting new voice in African American fiction.
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Through a series of fictional episodes set against the backdrop of one of the most turbulent years in modern history, Asim brings into pin-sharp focus how the tumultuous events of '68 affected real people's lives and shaped the country we live in today. 
 
The sixteen connected stories in this exciting debut are set in the fictional Midwestern town of Gateway City, where second generation off-spring of the Great Migrators have pieced together a thriving, if fragile existence.  With police brutality on the rise, the civil rights movement gaining momentum, and wars raging at home and abroad, Asim has conjured a community that stands on edge.  But it is the individual struggles with love, childrearing, adolescence, etc, lyrically chronicled here, that create a piercing portrait of humanity.
 
In I'd Rather Go Blind and Zombies, young Crispus Jones, who while sensitive to the tremors of upheaval around him is still much more concerned with his crush on neighbor Polly and if he's ever going to be as cool as his brother.   When Ray Mortimer, a white cop, kills the owner of his favorite candy store, Crispus becomes aware of malice even more scary than zombies and the ghost that he thinks may be haunting his house. 
 
In The Wheat from the Tares and A Virtuous Woman, Rose Whittier deals with her abusive husband with a desperate resignation until his past catches up with him and she's given a second chance at love.  And Gabriel, her suitor, realizes that his whole-hearted commitment to The Struggle may have to give way for his own shot at romance.
 
And in Ashes to Ashes we see how a single act of despicable violence in their childhoods cements a lasting connection between two unlikely friends.
 
From Crispus' tender innocence to Ray Mortimer's near pure evil, to Rose's quiet determination, the characters in this book and their journeys showcase a world that is brimming with grace and meaning and showcases the talents of a writer at the top of his game.  

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Mar 2, 2010
• ISBN: 9780307590053

Jabari Asim

Jabari Asim is the author of the critically acclaimed The N Word. He is editor-in-chief of The Crisis—the magazine of the NAACP—and former editor at and frequent contributor to the Washington Post, and his writing has appeared on Salon and in Essence, the Los Angeles Times, and other publications. He divides his time between Maryland and Illinois with his wife and five children.

Reviews for A Taste of Honey

[1forthebooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely spellbinding...before I even begin...READ THIS BOOK. I highly recommend it. This is a set of interwoven stories in which everyone is searching (whether consciously or unconsciously) for that beacon of hope. The characters (and there are a lot of them) were amazing! The stories and the prose were well written and very captivating. I could not put this one down and when I did finish I was overwhelmed with joy. I mean I was smiling from ear to ear after reading this. Asim used humor, sincerity, and poetic language to explore sensitive topics like rape, domestic violence, racism, police brutality, and adolescence (to name a few). It was written so well that at times I forgot that I was reading fiction.
Through the short journey, I found myself becoming attached to the characters. I would like to see this as a mini series or on television. I would also like to teach this in my classroom someday.

Go get it, NOW! (sorry I didn't mean to yell :)

[sueridnour · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lariat List 2010, African-Americans, civil rights movement, family

[violetbramble · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interconnected short stories set in 1967-1968 , based around one African-American family and their neighbors. At the center of these stories is the Jones family, Reuben, a painter, his homemaker wife Pristine and their three sons, Ed, Schomburg and Crispus. Subjects include police brutality, domestic violence, zombies, ghosts, racism and civil rights. The first story has young Crispus introducing us to his family while other stories spread out to include their neighbors and the city. The last story includes the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr and the ensuing riots. Asim makes you care about these characters, esp Crispus, Reuben and Roderick (the boy genius of the neighborhood).This book was the best book of the month for me. It's a well written , fast read , that kept my interest throughout. Highly recommended.

[literaryw_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Awesome, Awesome, Awesome stories. I love the authors use of the back-story technique. The characters were well thought-out and compelling. I agree with Chris Bohjalian. This book is a gem! Thumbs up to Jabari Asim