Even the most difficult of marriages can survive a lifetime through commitment, acceptance, and work. In Love Always, Hobby and Jessie, the improbable bond that was the marriage of Hobby and Jessie Robinson showcases one example of a rocky marriage that eventually finds its footing. Defined by their heritage and their experiences, Hobby and Jessie met, merged,-and split many times as they unknowingly defined their unique relationship.
The conditions implemented to keep peace forged an eventual lifelong truce and acceptance. Those outside of their marriage would have been puzzled the solutions that Hobby and Jessie found. As unconventional as they were to each other, their attempts at brokering their special treaties mirrored their individual styles. Couples who settle on the edges of their relationship often find themselves at the very center of it.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT "LOVE ALWAYS, HOBBY AND JESSIE"...
The Daily News Record: "Keeping History Alive" (Click Here to read the article)
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Chock full of touching, humorous and compelling tales that all will relate to. A timeless piece!
-Heather Hummel, Author The Universe Is My Sugar Daddy, Through Hazel Eyes, Gracefully: Looking and Being Your Best at Any Age, Inspirational Journal
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This is a memoir about parents, their relationship, and life in a small town in Virginia from the 1940s to the 1980s. Hobby, the father, ran Elkton's clothing store and was the unofficial town photographer. Both parents were sociable, but in different ways, and, in Hobby's case, sometimes in different directions. Ultimately the relationship settled into a truce in place, protecting the interests, autonomy, and loneliness of each parent.
The author presents many moving vignettes of her parents, both sad and humorous. The story of the slowly decaying head of a trophy fish (mounted by an undertaker rather than a taxidermist) achieves a "scratch and sniff" level of vividness. Thanks to Hobby's pictures, everything (including the fish) is illustrated, and the book concludes with some of his best pictures of the people of Elkton. The memoir is itself a kind of photographic portrait. The photographer recedes into the background, and the "love always" of the title is expressed in a tender but honest portrayal of her parents.
- Brantly Womack (Washington, DC)
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Thanks to Sara's father, Randolph `Hobby' Robinson, and his love for photography she has plenty material to develop a truly accurate and realistic depiction of the life of her parents, Hobby and Jessie. In "Love Always, Hobby and Jessie," we take a trip to small town Elkton, Virginia during the late 1920's and the 30's to witness this life as told by their daughter.
Unlike other memoirs, "Love Always, Hobby and Jessie" takes a close, hard look at the truth of marriage and life. The author has left nothing out; we see firsthand the ups and downs, the good times and bad. We see the break ups and the make ups as Jessie and Hobby struggle to keep their union afloat while raising a little girl.
The truth can be tough at times but the no-holds barred honesty found in "Love Always, Hobby and Jessie" gives it a meaningful feel and a welcoming depth of reality. We learn, through the tales and relationship of Hobby and Jessie, that commitment back then is just as important as it is now.
From the first word, Sara Robinson's passion for the small town she was raised in and what it meant to her and her parents is evident. Instantly, we are taken back in time to a different era. With each passing page, it is virtually impossible not to relate to the people, places, and events that occurred during the life of Hobby and Jessie.
Sara's creative and colorful writing style incorporates the use of metaphors to give the story a new dimension and additional depth. Stimulating all the senses, Sara's writing creates images in the reader's mind that play like a movie reel. The textures and details invoked by the combination of all these attributes will place the reader right in the story, setting and plot.
I recommend "Love Always, Hobby and Jessie" to those who enjoy reading about small town America during the 1920's and 30's. I would also recommend this book to married couples. There is a lot to learn from the marriage of Hobby and Jessie.
No two people are a perfect match but once joined they can - love always.
Steven Knight
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