The Strong, Silent Type [Paperback]

C. Kelly Robinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 4, 2005

In The Perfect Blend, Robinson captured contemporary life and love with insight and heart. Now he's back-and at his best-in a novel of achieving dreams against all odds as a down-and-out former NFL star and a speech therapist and single mother discover the hard bargain between healing and forgiving and the unexpected joys that come from taking risks.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Deacon Davis, former football star and son of a renowned civil rights leader, is battling with his stuttering. After an embarrassing television interview and a forced resignation from the first African American political party, American Dream, he finally seeks professional help. Deacon decides to attend the Speech Recovery Clinic run by a nationally renowned speech therapist. The annual intensive residential summer program for adult stutterers is one of the best. He is assigned to work with the speech therapist, Maria Oliver. Maria has her own struggles. When she was unable to provide for her son, she gave him to her brother. He and his wife willingly accepted responsibility. Now that Maria has her life together, she wants to challenge the custodial arrangement. Yet that fight is complicated by her attraction to Deacon. Their one-night stand threatens to jeopardize her job and cause her further distress. When Deacon and Maria decide to confide in, support, and depend on one another, they face some unexpected joys and pains. A compelling story. Lillian Lewis
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

C. Kelly Robinson lives with his wife, who is also a writer.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: NAL Trade; First Printing edition (January 4, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451210379
• ISBN-13: 978-0451210371
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,412,486 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bestseller Bound...A Great Read, July 6, 2005

By 

Joan B. Stanford "Jazzy Pen" (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Strong, Silent Type (Paperback)

Simply stated, The Strong, Silent Type by C. Kelly Robinson is one of the best books this reviewer has read so far in 2005. Although he has four novels under his publishing belt, Robinson's name is not as widely known as say, Eric Jerome Dickey or E. Lynn Harris. However, if Robinson keeps writing compelling tales like this, he will no longer be a silent bestseller, but a prominent and popular author.

While Dickey is the king of drama and Harris brings the DL heat like no other, Robinson ranks supreme in storytelling. He goes back to the basics of a well-written story and combines flawed characters and an engaging plot, with a few twists to boot. More than anything, readers will appreciate the unique and refreshing storyline.

The main character, Deacon Davis, is an ex-professional football star who works as an executive director of the American Dream Party, a political organization started by his late father. But when Deacon stutters horribly during an important nationally televised interview, he is forced to resign. Frustrated that his tongue had failed him and cost him his job, he's determined to do something about his stuttering and get back to fulfilling the duty of continuing his father's work.

He seeks professional help at the Speech Recovery Clinic, where he meets Maria Oliver, an attractive speech therapist. Before either of them knows it, they are breaking the clinic's fraternizing rule and if anyone finds out, she too, will be out of a job. Adding to her stress is another dilemma. While battling with drugs in the past, she gave her baby to her brother, Thomas and his wife to raise as their own. Now, when Maria is clean and sober with a successful career, she can't deny the maternal feelings she has. She wants her son back. Despite Thomas's litigation threats, she wants her son to know the truth, that she is his mother, not his aunt.

Maria's not the only person wanting truth revealed. Deacon's brother, Miles plans to write a tell-all book, detailing his theory that his father's mysterious death was not an accident, but an assassination. However, there are a few holes in Miles' theory, and Deacon knows the one person who can confirm or shatter Miles' suspicions.

The Strong, Silent Type is a great read. C. Kelly Robinson has a masterful way with descriptions that truly bring characters to life. The scenes are vivid and the dialogue, authentic. Robinson should not only be commended for penning an intriguing tale, but he should be applauded for enlightening a few readers, like this reviewer, about the impact stuttering has on people who have the communication disorder. If you're looking for a book that has it all--romance, suspense, drama and excellent writing--pick up The Strong Silent Type. You won't be disappointed.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Contemporary Fiction at its Best, May 15, 2005

By 

Nicole McCurty (Chesapeake, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Strong, Silent Type (Paperback)

In The Strong Silent Type, Deacon Davis, the son of a deceased civil rights leader, decides to seek help for his stuttering problem after being forced to resign from his father's organization. It is at a conference that he meets Maria Oliver, one of the speech therapists. As Maria is tasked to help this high profile client overcome his affliction as well as bring positive publicity to the organization, she is faced with her own problems. After her shaky teen and college years, Maria now has her life together and hopes to finally raise the child that she left in her brother's care. However, it's not as easy as it sounds. Deacon and Maria are both faced with difficult challenges but together they just may be able to overcome them.

This was my first novel by C. Kelly Robinson and I have to say that I was very impressed. Not only was it well written but contained all the elements that I look for in a great read including mystery, romance, a whole host of characters and a few different story lines. The characters were professional people who were likable, yet flawed. Although there were many characters introduced, they never became overwhelming and each added something to the story. I was drawn into every storyline and was elated when they each ended satisfactorily. The main draw to this story was Deacon's stuttering problem. This was something that I had never encountered in a novel and I was enlightened by how society treats people that stutter and how they view themselves.

I would recommend this novel to book clubs who are looking for an insightful, compelling read that deals with everyday issues. Although this was my first read by Robinson, it will definitely not be my last.

Reviewed by Nicole
APOOO BookClub

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He Just Keeps Getting Better and Better, March 29, 2005

By 

Zane "NY Times Bestselling Author" (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Strong, Silent Type (Paperback)

C. Kelly Robinson raises his game with each consecutive novel that he pens. This is no exception. The Strong Silent Type is a wonderfully engaging tale of two people caught up in life and all the pitfalls that it brings. Yet they manage to keep sight of the important things in life and that is a rarity. So many people harp on the negative instead of drawing from the positive.

Deacon's stuttering problem is a nice twist to a classical romance. There are many people living with that problem and others that cause them to have low self-esteem. I applaud Robinson for tackling the issue head-on and showing that what makes us different can also make us special and unique. I fell in love with the Deacon character and the Maria one was equally as unforgettable. She was a real sister who had gotten into the wrong man and the wrong things early on in life but turned her life around, which is commendable. It shows that we can overcome our mistakes and move on to achieve something more positive.

I would suggest this novel to anyone and I hope that the masses will discover it. It is truly a story that will touch people right where it counts: in the heart.