The Last Thing You Surrender - by Leonard Pitts Jr (Paperback)

About the Book

The latest novel by bestselling author Leonard Pitts, Jr. Set during World War II and centered on two families--one white, one black--this is a page-turning American epic of race and war.

Book Synopsis

The latest novel by bestselling author Leonard Pitts, Jr. Set during World War II and centered on two families--one white, one black--this is a page-turning American epic of race and war.

Review Quotes

Praise for Leonard Pitts, Jr.'s novel THE LAST THING YOU SURRENDER:

"Seamlessly integrates impressive research into a compelling tale of America at war--overseas, at home, and within ourselves, as we struggle to find the better angels of our nature. Pitts poignantly illustrates ongoing racial and class tensions, and offers hope that we can overcome hatred by refusing to sacrifice dignity." --Booklist, starred review.

"The Last Thing You Surrender is a story of our nation at war, with itself as well as tyranny across the globe. It's an American tapestry of hatred, compassion, fear, courage, and cruelties, leavened with the promise of triumph. A powerful story I will not soon forget." --James R. Benn, author of the Billy Boyle WWII Mystery series

"Leonard Pitts, Jr. does it again. He interweaves stories that grip you from beginning to end. Set during WWII, it shows how race relations in America haven't advanced much. The Last Thing You Surrender will have you entranced with the story, and it will stick with you even after you complete the last page." --Southfield Public Library

"I couldn't put it down, and it left me stunned! It's such a harsh novel, yet at the same time, it's a hopeful novel that is so relevant today. I'm already telling people about it." --Pete Mock, McIntyre's Books, Pittsboro, North Carolina

Praise for Leonard Pitts, Jr.'s novel GRANT PARK:

"Grant Park is layered, insightful, and passionate. Pitts's subtly explosive language grips readers with the delicate subject matter and earnestly implores them to understand that '[race] has always meant something and it always will.' The scars will remain, but stunningly powerful examinations like Grant Park can be the salve that helps heal open wounds." --Shelf-Awareness, starred review

"Leonard Pitts has written a taut thriller that weaves together a stark look at America's tortured racial past with a fast-paced tale of terrorist conspiracy and love rekindled." --Neil Steinberg, Chicago Sun Times

". . . these ideas [are] perennially salient, and doubly so today, given a growing litany of American sorrows, from Ferguson to Charleston and beyond. . . . lays bare the extent to which Americans, black and white, still struggle to articulate the basic elements of our shared past." -- Vinson Cunningham, New York Times Book Review

"The book is a page-turner, but also one that commands deep reflection on history, racism, and personal choices." --Blanca Torres, The Seattle Times

"A novel as significant as it is engrossing." --Booklist, starred review

"Pitts masterfully revisits [election night on November 4, 2008] and four decades of the civil rights struggle to create one of the most suspenseful and spectacular fictitious moments you'll experience this fall." --Patrik Henry Bass, Essence

"Pitts does a skillful job of building tension in the novel's historical sections as well as on Election Day. . . . He also does something not every political thriller writer does: builds believable, complex characters." -- Colette Bancroft, Tampa Bay Times

"[A] high-stakes, hard-charging political thriller. . . . The sharply etched characters, careful attention to detail, and rich newspaper lore propel Pitts's socially relevant novel." --Publishers Weekly

"And then there are those thrills--gasping, mouth-gaping page-turners that author Leonard Pitts Jr. weaves through another realism: truthful, brutal plot-lines about racial issues of the last five decades, mulling over exactly how far we've really come. That makes this will-they-live-or-won't-they nail-biter into somet

About the Author

Leonard Pitts, Jr., is the author of the novels Grant Park, Freeman, and Before I Forget, as well as two works of nonfiction. He is a nationally syndicated columnist for the Miami Herald and winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for commentary, in addition to many other awards. Born and raised in Southern California, Pitts lives in Maryland outside Washington, DC.