Satisfied with Nothin - by Ernest Hill (Paperback)

About the Book

In this novel, Hill chronicles the transformation of an African-American youth--"a long-awaited incarnation of Richard Wright's Bigger Thomas" ("Baltimore Sun")--from a naive athlete to a college football star at a newly integrated college to a hard-driving, cynical adult determined to succeed despite the opposition of whites and the complacency of blacks.

Book Synopsis

This is the story of Jamie Ray Griffin, a young black man who, by virtue of his talent on the football field, finds himself suddenly thrust into a white world full of privilege, temptation, and never-before-imagined possibility. Encouraged by the facade of acceptance from the white community, Jamie strives to succeed, but finds himself thwarted at every turn -- by whites and blacks alike.

Satisfied with Nothin' chronicles Jamie's development from a naive, unsophisticated teen to a hard-driving, cynical adult determined to succeed despite the opposition of whites, the complacency of blacks, and his own tragic fate. In doing so, it provides a powerful and important portrait of the black experience in post-segregation America.

Review Quotes

"Hill has created a long-awaited incarnation of Richard Wright's Bigger Thomas...Satisfied with Nothin' is a deeply felt work." -- Joan Mellen, The Baltimore Sun

"Hill is a skilled storyteller." -- Fran Handman, The New York Times Book Review

"Hill's soul-searing debut novel...illuminates everyday life in black America between the early 1970s and '80s while transcending color to tell a universal story." -- Alan Doyle, Contra Costa Times