Jeff Hobbs Author of The New York Times Bestseller The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace

Praise for Seeking Shelter

[A] moving, real-life saga . . . the narrative unfolds with gripping immediacy. . . . Though Evelyn is undeniably a victim of corrupt systems, she possesses a resilience that makes her story nothing short of heroic.”
—The New Yorker

Seeking Shelter is remarkably vivid and detailed, as well as deeply empathetic. . . . [Hobbs] doesn’t just recount events; he confidently probes his characters’ psyches, parsing their motivations and emotions. . . . Hobbs’ great gift lies in immersing readers in his narrative, keeping us rooting for his subjects despite their missteps.”
—Los Angeles Times

A mom struggles to keep a roof over her family’s head in this poignant saga. . . . It’s an eye-opening look at how the housing crisis extends far beyond what’s visible on the streets.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Praise for Children of the State

This sensitively written book offers finely wrought portraits of the teenagers in juvenile hall, as well as the educators and counselors trying to help them find safe passage back to—and through—the real world.”
—Los Angeles Times

Throughout, Hobbs lets his characters describe the broken system, rather than writing as an advocate. With admirable research, he does a wonderful job bringing out his subjects’ humanity. The reader cares about these people—adults and young people alike—and wants them to succeed.”
—NPR

This kind of nonfiction relies on earning the privilege of entry into people’s lives and observing them closely and deeply; Hobbs excels at both. Describing environments and scenes, he is fluent and precise, with an eye for rich detail. Even better is his portrayal of the internal experiences of his subjects.”
—The New York Times Book Review

Praise for Show Them You’re Good

Hobbs’s carefully observed journalistic account…widens our view of the modern ‘immigrant experience’ to include that classic crucible: high school and college admissions…An admirable addition to the growing body of literature that humanizes the struggles and expands the scope of our understanding of the lives of immigrant youth.”
—The New York Times Book Review

[The] young men [in Hobbs’s book are] smart and curious, alert to the absurdity of adult life, keenly aware of grownups’ hypocrisy, and determined not to be seen as clichés. They faced all the messy realities of life — illness, poverty, unreliable parents — and ‘pushed ahead anyway, in the very best way.’”
—Boston Globe

[An] exceptional work of investigative journalism. . . . A stirring examination of life in LA, the country’s political landscape, the flaws of the American higher education system, and the rites of passage from boyhood into manhood. Laced with compassion, insight, and humor, this appealing study deserves a wide readership.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

Praise for The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace

Mesmeric… [Hobbs] asks the consummate American question: Is it possible to reinvent yourself, to sculpture your own destiny?… That one man can contain such contradictions makes for an astonishing, tragic story. In Hobbs’s hands, though, it becomes something more: an interrogation of our national creed of self-invention…. [The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace] deserves a turn in the nation’s pulpit from which it can beg us to see the third world America in our midst.”
—The New York Times Book Review

A haunting work of nonfiction…. Mr. Hobbs writes in a forthright but not florid way about a heartbreaking story.”
—The New York Times

I can hardly think of a book that feels more necessary, relevant, and urgent.”
—Grantland

The Short Tragic Life of Robert Peace is a book that is as much about class as it is race. Peace traveled across America’s widening social divide, and Hobbs’ book is an honest, insightful and empathetic account of his sometimes painful, always strange journey.”
—The Los Angeles Times

Devastating. It is a testament to Hobbs’s talents that Peace’s murder still shocks and stings even though we are clued into his fate from the outset….a first-rate book. [Hobbs] has a tremendous ability to empathize with all of his characters without romanticizing any of them.”
—Boston Globe

[An] intimate biography… Hobbs uses [Peace’s] journey as an opportunity to discuss race and class, but he doesn’t let such issues crowd out a sense of his friend’s individuality…By the end, the reader, like the author, desperately wishes that Peace could have had more time.”
—The New Yorker

In my nearly eight-year tenure at CityBridge, we have highlighted dozens and dozens of great books.  None have moved people—to tears, to question their assumptions, to wait until 10 pm for a chance to talk to the author—the way yours did.  We are honored (and moved) that you spent so much time in D.C. and with us; thank you.  I hope you will let us know how your new book is coming and if we can be helpful with anything, anytime.
—CityBridge Foundation

I felt genuinely privileged to be with you yesterday as you conversed with students, the small group on the fifth floor before the reception, and then in the theater with the group at large. Your impact on others (including me) comes not only from your transparent, vivid and human portrayal of Rob and his life, but it comes from you. I have rarely met anyone who in the description of something they know and in their answer to questions that others pose displays more genuineness, transparency, integrity and humility. You are a great gift and through you the gifts of Rob’s life and its victories and defeats, come through in your book, yes, but also in the way you develop its meaning and the meaning of a human being.
—Proctor and Gamble