Overview
James Henry Ferguson doesn’t belong here.
After a highly publicized fall from grace, James attempts to flee from the chaos in his life. He ends up in a community he had never heard of before, one that has been neglected and ignored by everyone in rural Ham, Mississippi. A place of abject poverty, the neighborhood is commonly referred to as “Around the Way.”
Within a place forgotten by the rest of the world, politics can be a dangerous game. When a troubling discovery is made, the entire neighborhood is rocked to its core and James is forced to confront his own past in order to help the community have a future. He will have to find the strength to fight for the neighbors he once disregarded and avert a heart-breaking disaster.
A self-identified failure is forced to uncover the wisdom of his past in order to recognize that money can’t solve every problem. Full of never-ending twists and turns, no one can prepare themselves for the surprises in store. Mr. Jimmy From Around the Way is a story about failure, self-discovery, empowerment, and the possibility of redemption.
Reviews
"Mr. Jimmy From Around the Way is a thoughtfully written, thought-provoking, complacency-smashing novel of redemption and restoration, and a testament to the truth that it is in lifting up others that we ourselves are lifted up."—Marie Bostwick, NYT and USA Today bestselling author of Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly
"Blount makes us pause to take an up-close look at poverty and racism in our collective backyard. This powerful novel shows the true meaning of 'it takes a village,' and that doing the right thing should be color blind."—Karen White, New York Times Bestselling Author
"This tender story is for any of us who have fallen and found the only way up is by reaching out a hand to others." —Cassandra King, author of Tell Me a Story: My Life with Pat Conroy
"With a true sense of place and authentic dialogue, the author introduces characters not easily forgotten. I found myself crying and cheering, lost in their pain and ultimately, joy. A heartwarming story with the emotional depth of an important read." —Johnnie Bernhard, author of Hannah and Ariela, winner of the National Federation of Press Women, Novel Award 2023
“A feat of beauty and cultural significance. . . . A vivid portrait of love, race, redemption, and the American dream. It reaches into your heart, twists it, breaks it, mends it, and transforms it—it doesn't let you go. An instant classic. —Pamela Hamilton, author of Lady Be Good: The Life and Times of Dorothy Hale
"Blount balances page-turning plot twists and turns with elegant literary prose and emotional integrity in this amazing novel. Fans of the 1970 movie, They Call Me Mister Tibbs! and Pat Conroy's The Water is Wide will love Mr. Jimmy From Around the Way." —Susan Cushman, author/editor of John and Mary Margaret and Cherry Bomb, and the anthology Southern Writers on Writing
"A moving novel with richly-drawn characters and sharp prose. Mr. Jimmy From Around the Way teaches us that every journey to redemption ultimately must involve a painful reckoning with your true self." —Steve Majors, author of High Yella: A Modern Family Memoir
"Using a deft hand, Jeffrey Blount takes us behind Mr. Jimmy’s agonizing journey, where black and white figure prominently, and yet—as in the lives we all lead—everything is a thousand shades of gray." —Steve Piacente, author, life coach and communications trainer Author Biography
Jeffrey is the award-winning author of three novels. His most recent book, The Emancipation of Evan Walls was the winner of the 2020 National Indie Excellence Award for African American fiction.
He is also an Emmy award-winning television director and a 2016 inductee to the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame. During a 34-year career at NBC News, Jeffrey directed a decade of Meet The Press, the Today show, NBC Nightly News, and major special events. He is the first African- American to direct the Today show.
He is also an award-winning documentary scriptwriter for films and interactives that are now on display in the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture. In 2017 and 2018, Jeffrey served as Journalist in Residence and Shapiro Fellow at the School of Media and Public Affairs at The George Washington University.
A Virginia native, he graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in Communications/Broadcast Journalism.
Born and raised in Smithfield, Virginia, he now lives in Washington, DC.
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