Customer Reviews

A Hope in the Unseen: An American Odyssey from the Inner City to the Ivy League

5 star:		(74)
4 star:		(39)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

A remarkable work of non-fiction by a journalist who followed an inner city kid in DC for his last 18 months of high school and his first year at Brown (the first graduate of his school to attend an Ivy League college). At a basic level, it is an illuminating and entertaining account of life in a part of our society that is largely inaccessible and incomprehensible to those who are not in it. But there is much more to it than that. The book provides compelling descriptions of the thoughts and feelings of a cast of real characters including:

(1) Cedric, the protagonist: a sincere and diligent - if sometimes a bit prickly - young black kid who wrestles with conflicts between desire to achieve vs. desire to fit in; his childhood faith vs. inner city culture of sex and drugs; his childhood faith vs. the more sophisticated culture of experimental skepticism at the University; loyalty and affection for his family vs. the aloof individualism characterizing most young Americans.
(2) Cedric's mother: flawed but heroic; a fierce advocate for her son; an unbending force for faith and morality in his life.
(3) Cedric's absentee father: a dynamic personality, but caught in the trap of drug use as he goes in and out of prison and relationships; alternatingly wracked by guilt and soothing himself with rationalization; struggling to hold on to his tenuous relationship with his son.
(4) the minister: a complex character who gives stirring sermons imploring his impoverished flock to shun the moral evils around them and show their devotion by contributing their last farthings - which he uses in part to purchase his Cadillac; his true commitment to his flock is put to the test at the end of the book when Cedric's mother is faced with the prospect of losing everything in a forced eviction, which the minister alone has the wherewithal to prevent.
(5) the advantaged black kids he meets at Brown: their prep school backgrounds and easy familiarity with white culture set them apart from Cedric, but he shares with them other cultural inclinations and references.
(6) his upper-middle class white roommate from Marblehead: a congenial kid who thinks he has life pretty well figured out and prides himself on being able to get along with anyone, but who becomes increasingly confused and hostile after a series of conflicts and miscommunications with Cedric.

For me, Suskind's use of an omniscient narrator to tell the story succeeds - enabling him to weave insights gleaned from multiple sources into a fully informed story. No memoir of an individual participant could achieve that breadth of perspective. It works because his research is so thorough, and the point of view of each character portrayed with sympathy and respect.

All in all, extremely compelling stuff. Nothing short of amazing for something this insightful and rich to come from the pen of a white Jewish guy from out of town. In the afterword, the author comments quite movingly on how meaningful his personal relationships with Cedric and his mother had become to him. They clearly opened their souls. The result is a remarkable portrait of a family that is at once flawed and heroic, endowed with modest resources (and even capabilities) but who nevertheless reach for uncommon achievement; a family uplifted by faith in the face of great and continuing hardship. Very inspiring.

I rated this book 4 stars for Suskind's writing style. The main character,Cedric Jennings, well, he should get 6 stars for tenacity alone (as should his mother, Barbara). This was an eye-opening book, especially for someone like myself who lives in a country setting far away from inner-city strife and hardship. Cedric endures the taunts and ostracism of his inner-city high school peers because he is bright, motivated, and interested in learning. (His mother's infleunce should not be underestimated here, nor should Cedric's faith and the support of his church.) He succeeds beyond all odds in getting accepted to Brown University, only to learn that it's very difficult to fit in and be understood there as well. Poor Cedric doesn't seem to fit in anywhere he goes and yet, he "stays the course" in spite of a mulitude of reasons why he should not. What a wonderful triumph and inspriration his story is. I'd highly recommend it- particularly to non-African American readers who most likely don't have clue what it takes to get out of the ghetto- really. This- "just go out and get a job" mentality we "majority" folks spout needs to be blown up. Read this story and you'll see what real inner-city people are up against. It may change the way you view things and may even inspire you to want to do something about the way things are.

As many other reviews have noted, the basic elements of the story underlying this book are immensely powerful. The journey of Cedric Jennings from dysfunctional inner city schools -- and the broader antagonistic sub-society in which they exist -- to they Ivy League should inspire all of us toward the level of discipline Cedric (and his mother!) have achieved. As told in this book, the story also highlights the many 'filters' on both sides of divide that obstruct the ability of poor black to communicate with affluent white. I recommed this book to anyone who feels indifference welling inside them, and needs to be stirred to action to help make the world a better place.

For me, the book was not without flaw, however. I am familiar with a few of the characters in the book from my own past experience. It seemed to me that Suskind was not as completely objective as he claims in the epilogue and acknowledgements at the end of the book. I noticed that Suskind treated some characters dismissively (e.g., Clarence Thomas, Leon Trilling), and it seemed that these were characters who weren't lock step with Suskind's symapthetic view of Cedric's journey. The use of such journalistic license isn't unique to Suskind, of course. It's precisely the use of such license -- to expand more on a character's inner feelings here, to provide less extensive explanations elsewhere, to speculate on motive here while exploring motive more fully elsewhere -- that can be so infruriating to those who are quoted in the newspaper, no matter the subject. Maybe it's for this reason that Suskind's epilogue, in which he expounds upon how his methods ensured objectivity, leaves a feeling that he doth protest too much.

In the end, is this a book I'd recommend? Absolutely. The power of the story prevails over it's flaws. It's inspirational and insightful.

Ron Suskind tells the story of Cedric Jennings, following him from his senior year at Ballou, pegged as one of the worst Washington, DC public schools, through his first two years at Brown University, one of America's premier universities.

Cedric has something of a support network -- some caring teachers, a strong religious background, a loving, hardworking mother -- and some scholarships and unique opportunities that open doors. Yet, even with some structure in place, he is not completely equipped to deal with the academic and social pressures of the Ivy League life. Even some of the people in Cedric's own DC community do not approve of his efforts to become successful.

Suskind points out that minority scholarships most often benefit middle and upper class students, while people like Cedric, with an inner city, working class upbringing, rarely receive the kind of financial support necessary for a superior education. Little help exists for those who are truly "disadvantaged." In light of how few supports he had, it is a true inspiration to read about Cedric's eventual success.

I hope that some of the anger at the disparities between rich and poor that this book arouses can be channeled into finding ways to help people like Cedric, and his less lucky peers.

I heard Mr. Suskind on NPR last year and have been carrying a scrap of paper for a year. I finally read the book last week--worth the wait! I am struck by the willingness of a young man to allow himself to be portrayed in such naked honesty, and by the willingness of the author to dare to write this book. For many Americans it may be the only way they wake up to the reality of life "on the other side" of D.C. I pray to God some of us pay attention this time - the crime would be to forget about the thousands of Cedrics who are missing the same opportunities, for getting out of the ghetto (I think) is a game of seconds and inches.

Every American with any responsibility for educa- tion of any kind should read this book, and every employer. Most of all, white people who think racism is over, that blacks get all the breaks, should read this book. It is a powerful story of one young man, backed by a mother and other family with strong wills and belief in education, over- came the profound disadvantages that apply to most inner-city minority children and made it to a selective, Ivy League School. The young man has the qualities needed to succeed at Brown, but he must work incredibly hard, harder than most people are willing to do, to overcome the damage done to him by his poor schooling and his surrounding anti-intellectual, anti-educational achievement subculture. I see this as a searing indictment of the neglect of public schools that serve, or rather disserve, black children, as well as the decades-long neglect that has led to the anti-achievement values of so many of those children. Cedric Jennings is an example of hope, but overall, the story is depressing, and tells the reader that without true and massive commitment to schools, and to children, setting aside petty power squabbles, more generations of children will be lost to America. The chapters describing Cedric's experiences in high school, the days filled with sheer physical fear of other students who viewed him with contempt because he was smart and made good grades, who tried to drag him down to their level, are enough to cause this reader, a graduate of a middle-class, academically-oriented high school 30 yrs ago, where violence in the school day was just unheard of, to read in deep despair. This book is an all too-clear exposition of the depth of the division between middle-class white and poor black that has developed in the last few decades. I hope that state legislative and congressional leadership will read this and ponder its meaning.

While flipping channels one day on my TV, I stumbles upon a writer doing a reading of his Pulitzer Prize winning book entitled Hope in the Unseen. Moments later the main character from the book, Cedric himself, stepped to the mic and took questions about the experience, and the book itself. I was riveted! This was facinating! I ran out and got the book, and was literally swept away by the story, the strength, and the bitter sweetness of the struggle illustrated so well. This book was a profound experience for me. Not only does the author use words in the most beautiful manner, but the story is so unashamed in it's stark compassion and truth. There were so many parts of this book that brought tears to my eyes. I felt privilaged to catch a glimpse of the vulnerability of this courageous, flawed, strong, optimistic young man. This book gave me hope for all young people out in the world facing seemingly insurmountable odds. I wanted to stand up and cheer at the end, I felt like this kid was going to be better than "OK", that he was going to have a richly rewarding life because he wasn't afraid to push himself along his journey. Every teen in school should be required to read this book, and every adult should read it so that we can change the attitudes in this world one family at a time.

I have just finished this book for work, where we were considering it for a text to use with all people (students, faculty, and staff) in our college community. This is an excellent, thought-provoking work.

This is a book about the hideous chasm between America's inner city schools and the opportunities that many people believe all Americans have. (I would add that there are chasms just as broad and deep between weour conception of the opportunties Americans have and our very poor, rural schools as well. ) Cedric Jennings intentionally refuses to take a large part in the world that surrounds Washington D. C's Ballou High School (spending his time with the TV instead of venturing into the drug and violence filled world outside his apartment) but his life at school does not prepare him for the world of Ivy League colleges, where he aspires to go. One of the most poignant parts of this book for me was Cedric's trip through the Brown University Bookstore, as a new freshman, where he realizes that he does not recognize the authors or subjects of textbook that are suppposed to be easily recognizeable for most well-prepared Americans. He might as well be in an uncharted land.

This is also a revealing book about the ways that our society maintains class differences. The power of organized religion as a means for maintaining a social status quo is particularly interesting.

This is a book that deals with very serious issues but also reads like a novel. Ron Suskind has done a wonderful job giving us lots of things to think about.

Wow! Ron Suskind has done an incredible service for mankind. This book SHOULD be read by everyone, but MUST be read by high school students, teachers, and college professors. As a teacher, I intend to use in in our high school curricula. It will forever change the way I perceive people of color, and I'm sure my students will agree. It is an invaluable tool, better than any textbook. Thank you Mr. Suskind for letting us peer into the lives of these incredible people.

When I picked up this book, I didn't know what I'd think of it. It's not the normal kind of book I read, but as this month's book club selection, I gave it a chance. And I was quite impressed.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Cedric. Coming from middle-class white suburbia, but not far from Detroit, I was familiar of the struggle for inner-city kids to strive, but not with their perceptions of it. This book opened up my eyes to some realities and feelings, I never had thought about before. For instance, how it's not only very difficult to get a good education or good grades in the inner city, but how you're ostracized by your peers for trying.

This is a story of how Cedric ignored the taunting of fellow students, how he earned a chance at the Ivy league and then we learn the struggle doesn't stop there. For a boy who was salutatorian at his high school, his education level is still far below most of those in the Ivy leagues. The story is about his efforts to make the grade, fit in at school and become comfortable in his own skin. Just reading about his obstacles made me tired for him!

I enjoyed the book, especially how we did get to see the world by more than just Cedric's eyes, but also by his mothers, his fathers and friends. I think this gave the story a pick-me-up when otherwise it would have gotten boring. To anyone who is interested in this topic, I'd recommend this book.