Hold Love Strong: A Novel by
Matthew Aaron Goodman
Trapped In The Gap
In this poignant tale of self-discovery, a young man struggles to survive the
New York City housing projects in the face of familial, communal, and
personal devastation.Born to a thirteen-year-old in the bathroom of his
familys small apartment, Abraham Sing leton enters a world laden with the
obstacles inherent in an impoverished community. In spite of the crack
epidemic and the HIV crisis that ravage their neighborhood, the Singleton
family -- cousins, an uncle, an aunt, Abraham, and his mother -- is held
together by Abrahams heroic grandmother, whose deep faith and stoic
nature have always given them a sense of wholeness and hope. But when
the family goes through several harrowing losses, not even his
grandmother may be strong enough to lead them through.At the center of
this story is Abraham, the youngest of the Singletons. Deeply intuitive and
cerebral, he is determined to thrive in a place that has destroyed the
dreams of those around him. College means opportunity, yet it also means
leaving behind those he loves. Abrahams journey into adulthood will break

his heart but ultimately offer the possibility of redemption.In this haunting,
lyrical, and evocative novel, Matthew Goodman composes a paean to the
power of family and belonging in the African-American community. Hold
Love Strong is a spellbinding coming-of-age tale about love, hope, and the
will to survive, and a stunning universal story about the incredible capacity
of the human spirit.
Personal Review: Hold Love Strong: A Novel by Matthew Aaron
Goodman
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
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