Millner’s story is filled with strength and affection.
By Denene Millner ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 5, 2023
What does it take to save your own life? Grace, LoLo, and Rae, three generations of Black women in the U.S., have all faced forces that have deprived them of freedom, dignity, and a sense of self-worth. Grace’s story begins in 1965 when she is sent to live with an unsympathetic aunt in Brooklyn, and her country ways and spiritual beliefs cannot protect her from the social and class prejudices she encounters. LoLo, a victim of neglect and sexual violence in her early years, marries a seemingly “good” man and raises a family with him, determined to protect her daughter from the degradations she suffered.
Rae, one of LoLo’s two adopted children, senses an emotional reserve in LoLo and is an eyewitness to her mother’s misery in the face of suffocating social conventions and domestic drudgery. As the secrets surrounding LoLo’s and Rae’s circumstances are revealed, Millner explores the ways Black women searched out paths to survival for themselves and their families. The choices of earlier generations are echoed in the lives of subsequent generations in Millner’s gripping saga, showing the strength and resilience of Black women in the face of adversity.
Check on Amazon Check on Walmart Check on Barnes and Noble Check on PowellsPub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781250276193
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Forge
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2023