Trouble Man: A Novel [Mass Market Paperback]

Travis Hunter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 27, 2009

Growing up on Philadelphia’s gritty streets, Jermaine Banks was used to fighting, but life has now thrown him some unexpected hooks and jabs. Almost thirty years old, with a three-year-old son who worships the ground he walks on, a pregnant girlfriend whose family hates every breath he takes, and a slain best friend whose death racks him with guilt, Jermaine realizes it’s time to change. But can he step up to the challenge, or will he continue to be a trouble man?


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Colorful characters from Hunter's previous two novels (The Hearts of Men; Married But Still Looking) return in this earnest, well-intentioned exploration of the complexities of the urban African-American male experience. Marijuana dealer Jermaine Banks is nearing 30, and while he doesn't see anything wrong with his job ("he felt like he was doing Philadelphians a favor by providing a natural herb that helped folks calm the hell down"), his pregnant girlfriend and her policeman father want him to clean up and become a decent role model for his three-year-old son, Khalil, and his unborn child. Meanwhile, across town, 51-year-old Calvin Sharpe, a shady real estate magnate, asks his wife, Robin, for a divorce so he can marry his white trophy mistress; Robin promptly informs their 15-year-old son, C.J., who has polycystic disease, that Calvin also abandoned another son-Jermaine. When Jermaine's best friend is gunned down by a rival drug gang, Jermaine knows the law of the street demands that he retaliate. Several more twists follow: Jermaine discovers that Khalil's mom is a lesbian; C.J.'s kidneys fail him; and Jermaine's uncle Herb, a heroin addict just out of prison, steals $30,000 of Jermaine's pot proceeds. All of these complications strengthen Jermaine's resolve to find a decent job and get Khalil out of the ghetto. Despite the book's somewhat clumsy prose, prosaic plots and Pollyanna resolutions, motivational speaker Hunter tells a readable tale with an uplifting message.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Jermaine Banks is the younger cousin of Prodigy Banks. Now that Prodigy has his life together, he has become a role model for his cousin. Although Jermaine is an intelligent, good-hearted young man, the lure of the streets has been more appealing than the straight and narrow. Having grown up without his father, Jermaine is very committed to being present for his children. Yet the lifestyle he has chosen makes it impossible for him to guarantee that he will be around. So, the more Erin pushes for him to become more responsible, the less he hears but the more he spends time rethinking his lifestyle and reconsidering his career options. Just as he begins to see things clearly, his father's father finds him and wants to get to know him. The reunion of his extended family is heartwarming for Jermaine, his son, and his mother. A very emotional story about a man making choices about being a man for his self-esteem and for the respect of his family. Lillian Lewis
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: One World/Ballantine; Reprint edition (January 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345510852
• ISBN-13: 978-0345510853
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.6 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,254,070 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born Florence, South Carolina. I grew up playing football and basketball like most of the other kids around my way. I never thought I'd be an author. I always hated reading and God forbid writing. So being the smart woman that she is, my mother used reading as a form of punishment for me when I acted up. Little did I know she was planting a very important seed. One that would one day turn into a career. I decided to start writing because I couldn't find any good books with positive African American male leads. So I decided to take a leap of faith and wrote my first novel, The Hearts of Men. I self published THOM and after selling a little over six thousand copies in about two months, I was approached by Random House. They republished The Hearts of Men. After that, I was bitten by the writing bug and now I'm on a role. Married But Still Looking, Trouble Man, A One Woman Man, Something to Die For, A Family Sin, Dark Child and the latest, Momma's a Virgin. I have three young adult novels; Two The Hard Way, At the Cross Roads, On the Come Up and the forthcoming novel about bullies; The Last Laugh. My novels are all quick reads. I could kill lots of trees with pages and pages of fluff but I prefer to give you mostly the meat and potatoes of the story. Im very passionate about my non-profit THe Hearts of Men Foundation. (www.theheartsofmen.org) Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the work.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Excellent Novel By Travis Hunter, December 19, 2003

By 

Brian K. Walley (Clayton, Delaware) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Trouble Man: A Novel (Strivers Row) (Hardcover)

Jermaine Banks, a man who's used to making his money on the streets by selling drugs, decides it's time to get out of the game once and for all. After finding out that one of his best childhood friends was gunned down in a drug-related death, Jermaine vows to quit this life and find a better one for himself and for his 3 year old son, Khalil. Simultaneously, Calvin Sharpe, a father and a husband, resolves to get his life straight before the FBI catches up with him for his past shady dealings. Calvin searches for the son he abandoned many years ago and he wants to make peace with him before it's too late.

Travis Hunter's third novel, Trouble Man, follows in the footsteps of his previous two novels, The Hearts of Men and Married But Still Looking. Readers will get to know these characters well as they follow them throughout their journeys and they will hope that Jermaine and Calvin get their lives in order by the story's conclusion. Travis Hunter writes in short, concise chapters that keep the story flowing at a nice pace and this story will definitely be over before you know it.

Travis Hunter's background as a motivational speaker shines through in Trouble Man as his male characters struggle to do what they know is right. Fans of Travis Hunter's earlier work should find themselves enjoying this one as well. His growth as a writer is evident with each book he releases.

With The Hearts of Men and Married But Still Looking, Travis Hunter had already become an author whose books should be read. Now, with the release of Trouble Man, he has solidified his spot and his books have moved into the must read pile.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True Understanding, August 10, 2003

By 

Tracy (Columbia, SC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trouble Man: A Novel (Strivers Row) (Hardcover)

This book was wonderful. Travis's portrayal of each character in this book was dead on. Most importantly it was to me an accurate portrayal of black men in different stages of life. It honestly helps you understand where the young brother, the older, married, corporate brother, and the old playa are coming from. What this book did for me was link the similarities that men in general have in dealing with the day to day struggle. Women, buy this book for yourself and for any man in your life. They will enjoy it, and learn from it. Oh, and make sure you purchase his other two books as well. You won't be disappointed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't put the book down, June 1, 2005

By 

Godizgd "In love with love..." (Tulsa, OK, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trouble Man: A Novel (Strivers Row) (Hardcover)

Once I read the first chapter I was hooked. This story had a lot of real life issues and once I read the first few pages I had to see what was going to happen next. Jermaine was a good bad boy who saw the need to change and found a way to do just that. He made some good decisions and also found a way to forgive those who wronged him in the past. This book just made my heart swim with emotion and I can not wait until Travis Hunter writes his next story.