Jeff - My book club discussion focused on themes of neighborhood, family, choices - all of which you explored. I keep going back to the theme of drugs. Was Rob just a drug addict and if he had gotten help for that would things have been different? You never mention other drugs - hard for me to believe that Rob didn't use/deal other street drugs. Any thoughts?

Jeff Hobbs Hi and thank you so much for reading with your book club and reaching out so thoughtfully--it means an awful lot, for real. So sorry for the years-long delay in responding. I really don't spend time on social websites but am trying to be better about that, as my next book called Show Them You're Good comes out in August, about young men in different neighborhoods finishing high school and aspiring for college. As to your question, it's a tough one and maybe one I should have researched more and explored further when writing the book. I've definitely learned a lot about addiction and marijuana in the time since (and times and attitudes, have certainly changed rapidly at least here in California). Weed really wasn't a part of my life and so I never really understood its role in Rob's, other than that he seemed to truly, almost romantically love weed and being high -- "I can just be..." he used to say. It's easy to think, especially through the perspective of Oswaldo, that with some help, he could have shed that malaise and maybe confronted some of his psychic load. But Rob really wasn't a person who ever asked for help or appeared to need it, even near the very end. So what's left is a lot of regret. Not sure if this answers your question. But wishing you all the best, sincerely, Jeff

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