The Weight
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
A powerful coming-of-age novel about a twenty-something Black musician living in predominantly white Portland, Oregon, playing in a rock band on the verge of success while struggling with racism, romance, and the legacy of his strict religious upbringing.
Julian Strickland is seemingly the lone Black man in the hipster dreamland of Portland, Oregon. To his friends, he’s the coolest member of the scene: the soulful drummer from Chicago in an indie rock band that’s just about to break through. But to himself, he’s a sheltered Christian homeschool kid who used to write book reports on Leviticus. A virgin until the night of his marriage, divorced at twenty-four, he’s still in disarray two years later—pretending to fit in, wondering if any of his relationships are real, estranged from his family, and struggling to reconcile his relationship with God.
Then he meets Ida Blair, a Black painter at the start of a promising career. They begin a tentative relationship, and Ida seems to offer Julian relief from his confusion. But suddenly she stops responding to his texts. Things only get worse when Julian’s best friend mysteriously turns on him, his house burns down, and the band considers breaking up on the eve of their most important show yet. It seems the only thing Julian has left—the only thing he’s ever had, really—is the weight he is carrying.
Jeff Boyd’s beguiling first novel is a piercing exploration of faith, racial identity, love, and friendship—woven of acid humor, disarming vulnerability, and unforgettable poignance.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Jeff Boyd’s unassumingly brilliant debut offers a fresh take on the intersection of race, religion, and rock ’n’ roll. Seeking an escape from his rigid evangelical Christian upbringing, Julian answers an ad to become a drummer for an indie rock band—and moves from Chicago all the way to Portland. In his new city, he’s always one of the few Black people pretty much anywhere he goes, adding to his unusual journey of self-discovery. Boyd smartly pokes fun at the subtle racism of middle-class white liberals, but that’s just one aspect of this multifaceted story. He also skillfully taps into the near-universal experience of being in your twenties and feeling like you’re screwing everything up, as Julian and his friends careen through boring jobs and awkward breakups, often turning to drugs and alcohol to dull the angst. The Weight is an insightful coming-of-age story with something for everyone.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Boyd's delightful debut, a Black man tries to find happiness in the largely white hipster haven of Portland, Ore. Julian Strickland, 26, the son of a Chicago police detective, works a dull office job, drums in a rock band, and is at loose ends, having just broken up with his girlfriend. At a gig, he meets a beautiful Black painter, Ida, and falls hard for her. Ida, though, is fresh off a breakup herself and isn't ready for a new relationship. Soon after, the band goes on a West Coast tour, but after returning to Portland, various band members fall out with their girlfriends, Julian glimpses Ida holding hands with someone else, and the turmoil could mean the end of the group just as they've signed with a storied indie label. Julian also has several harrowing encounters with the police that leave him vividly imagining his death at their hands, even with his father's union card in his back pocket. Boyd's writing is preternaturally wise, and his characters come to life with natural dialogue and brutally honest confrontations. This pulses with the beat of life.
