The Rat That Got Away: A Bronx Memoir [Hardcover]

Allen Jones (Author), Mark Naison (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009

The Rat That Got Away is an inspiring story of one man's odyssey from the streets of the Bronx to a life as a professional athlete and banker in Europe, but it is also provides a unique vantage point on the history of the Bronx and sheds new light on a neglected period in American urban history. Allen Jones grew up in a public housing project in the South Bronx at a time-the 1950s-when that neighborhood was a place of optimism and hope for upwardly mobile Black and Latino families. Brought up in a two-parent household, with many neighborhood mentors, Jones led an almost charmed life as a budding basketball star until his teen years, when his once peaceful neighborhood was torn by job losses, white flight, and a crippling drug epidemic. Drawn into the heroin trade, first as a user, then as a dealer, Jones spent four months on Rikers Island, where he experienced a crisis of conscience and a determination to turn his life around. Sent to a New England prep school upon his release, Jones used his basketball skills and street smartsto forge a life outside the Bronx, first as a college athlete in the South, then as a professional basketball player, radio personality, and banker in Europe. A brilliant storyteller with a gift for dialogue, Jones brings Bronx streets and housing projects to life as places of possibility as well as tragedy, where racism and economic hardship never completely suppressed the resilient spirit of its residents. A book that will change the way people view the South Bronx.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is a story that can be appreciated by all walks of life, on and off the court, in and out of the streets, novice and expert of the social norms of the ghetto, as its message rings true for all of humanity.-Pamela Lewis, Bronx Historical Society Journal

Few could have imagined the path the troubled youth would travel. Leaving behind a life of drugs and crime, Allen Jones became an international banker.-Roanoke College Magazine

A chronicle of Jones' life, from his youth in a Bronx housing development to a career as a professional basketball player in Europe.-Columbia College Today

About the Author

Allen Jones, born in the Bronx, is a manager for foreign currency exchange at Dexia Banque Internationale at Luxembourg.

Mark Naison is Professor of African American Studies and History at Fordham University, where he also directs the Bronx African American History Project. He is the author of three books, including White Boy: A Memoir.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Fordham University Press; 3 edition (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082323102X
• ISBN-13: 978-0823231027
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,060,506 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #26 in Books > History > Europe > Luxembourg

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ruthlessly Compelling, October 27, 2009

By 

Victor - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Rat That Got Away: A Bronx Memoir (Hardcover)

In the memoir, The Rat That Got Away", by Allen Jones, with Mark Naison, I experienced one of the most remarkable and powerfully written stories I've ever had the privilege of reading. From beginning to end, this book captures what is undoubtedly one of the most inspiring narratives ever penned. Where to even begin...

Dispelling the widely held notions of the South Bronx as some sort of lawless outpost, Mr. Jones describes the experience of growing up in a working class community filled with role models, caring teachers, supportive adults, stern yet loving parents, and a neighborhood which was as racially and ethnically diverse as it was vibrant.

As Mr. Jones writes about the characters that shaped his early years, we see the richness of his experiences through figures that are multi-dimensional and compelling in their own right. A father who administers swift and harsh punishment while constantly pushing his son to stay away from forces he himself is drawn to. A mother whose warmth of heart and unswerving loyalty to her son, at times blinding her to his numerous transgressions. Siblings who deal with the pressures brought about by urban decay in their own unique way. Dealers who inflict harm upon those who cross them and yet contribute both monetarily and in other intangible ways to the community they operate in. Nothing is presented as one dimensional, and none of the characters we read about are romanticized or demonized. Rather, they are portrayed as real people, struggling to survive in a world which steadily collapses around them.

From the moment I picked up this book, until the final sentence, I found it nearly impossible to put down. In spite of having completely different life experiences, the depth of this story is such that there were moments when I found myself connecting to what I think is one of the most profound messages that comes from this memoir: namely, the fact that no matter how much darkness we find ourselves surrounded by, whether at our own hands or those of another, there is always a moment when we have the choice, or the chance to turn away, and to draw upon some intangible force that can move us in an opposite direction.

As with any book that has ever stolen my heart, there is always a moment, a line, that brings me to the sudden awareness that I am completely hooked. So it was, when I came across the following passage:

"...as I was being led out of the courtroom, my hands cuffed behind my back, I heard a voice that froze my heart. My mother cried out, `Dear God, please don't take my son away!".

In this lone passage, Mr. Jones managed to affect me in a way that few pieces of literature have. The universality of a loving mother who, when faced with the prospect of losing her son, cried out for someone, anyone to hear her plea struck a chord that I think would affect anyone who has ever been moved by the written word.

The memoir progresses alongside historical events that come to life in the face and actions of both an individual and an entire community. The assassination of JFK. The rise of the Black Power movement. The Vietnam War. The scourge of heroin and the crack epidemic. The loss of blue collar jobs and the flight of working class whites from urban neighborhoods like the ones Mr. Jones grew up in are all given a human face.

One of the most striking elements of this memoir is the humility and courage that pours from each line. It never resorts to being preachy or condescending towards others who may not have `made it' in the way that Mr. Jones ultimately does. In fact, we see a story of someone who credits his difficult upbringing and never tries to shy away from who he is and the lessons that the streets taught him. Mr. Jones is able to clearly recognize the strengths he gained from his upbringing, while acknowledging that he had to ultimately leave the very environment he found himself nearly consumed by.

As someone who has spent more than twenty years working with at risk youth from tough urban environments, this book should be read by any young man or woman who finds themselves lost and without a compass. It should be read by every educator who cares about young people in such circumstances. This story should be read by any public figure who is interested in gaining a better understanding of the rich and nuanced history of urban life and it should be read by any policy maker whose decisions will have an impact on inner city neighborhoods anywhere in America. Truth be known, it should be read by anyone who loves the written word, and is moved by the transformative power of personal testimony.

My sincerest congratulations to Mr. Jones for sharing this courageous, beautifully written and enormously compelling story and to Dr. Mark Naison whose love of history and words helped make this book possible.

With sincere admiration and respect,

Victor Gunsalus

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Coming Up Alive - Through the Bronx, September 26, 2009

By 

Michael Rosen (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Rat That Got Away: A Bronx Memoir (Hardcover)

I was drawn deeply into Allen Jones' "Bronx Memoir" of growing up in public housing, surviving on basketball, his memories of the 1950s through the 1970s as integrated neighborhoods deteriorated deeper into poverty and segregation, the Civil Rights movement grew, drugs and its dangers became rampant, police and judicial systems increasingly reflected institutionalized racism, educational systems were so clearly broken, on and on.

This book, written with Mark Naison (Professor of African American Studies & History @ Fordham University, in the Bronx), is canny and intelligent, eloquent and wise. And gripping. And terrifying. And depressing. And uplifting. The grind of ghetto life, the needlessness of racism and its extraordinary oppression. The crucial role of fathers, sports coaches and other mentors captivated me - the possibilities therein for transcending racial and class poverty. But without naivety.

Jones' life - his drive, naive wisdom, so frequent brushes with true disaster and more lives than a lucky cat - should be an inspiration for so many young people living now in the circumstances Jones was able to break away from (but only by eventually leaving the US to pursue professional basketball, then realizing he needed to stay away and making a life in Europe). But young people seem to hardly read, and the kids who live in the world Jones writes of likely aren't lining up at bookstores, either. So... ?

Jones (and Naison, I'm certain) never sees hopelessness. He writes about it, but finds ways to make a life for himself, and as he notes, also most importantly for his children. So they are not bound to the oppression far too many in America are.

So "The Rat That Got Away" is also a lesson in hope. I dream it will be read by every American. By every person in America who believes less of people of color than they do of Whites, who believes anyone who tries can do well in school, on and on. This won't be the way, but if it were, Jones' book is the perfect one for it to be true with.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pleasure to read from first page to last, October 14, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rat That Got Away: A Bronx Memoir (Hardcover)

The Rat That Got Away is the true-life memoir of Allen Jones, from growing up on the streets of Bronx to his exciting career as a professional athlete and banker in Europe. Jones lived in a public housing project in South Bronx during the 1950's, when the place was a bastion of optimism for black and Latino families aspiring to the American Dream. Written with a flair for dramatic storytelling, The Rat That Got Away is a pleasure to read from first page to last. Highly recommended.