“Memphis” by Tara M. Stringfellow is at its core a book about family. The family we’re born into, as far as our blood ties, but then also family, from the perspective of community, the neighborhoods we grow up in, the environments in which we’re raised and how those relationships and interactions shape us as people. At the center of the novel are four female characters who are related by blood through mother daughter and sister sister relationships.
Category: <span>Book Reviews</span>
“Just Pursuit” by Laura Coates is a memoir about a Black female prosecutor and her time at the Department of Justice. You get the perspective of her coming into the agency as someone new to the office, and then a bit of insight as she gets a bit further along in her career. Now, to be clear, this isn’t a chronological story or a day-by-day account of her career at the Department of Justice. Instead, Coates picks out a few significant cases and discusses what was going on in her life at the time, the details of the case, and how the case affected her.
“Yonder” by Jabari Asim is in a sense a slave narrative but it differs from others as it doesn’t just follow one particular character but rather a group. And specifically a group comprised of people who share typical relationships that we might take for granted. Within the group are two sets of couples who share romantic love at different stages. A couple of soon-to-be parents anxious about the birth of their child. Another couple apprehensive about taking a chance to find love in a new relationship after multiple heartbreaks. And then overall friendship between all of the members of the group.
“Just As I Am” is a memoir about the long and storied life of legendary actress Cicely Tyson. Clocking in at 400+ pages, the book discusses the nitty gritty of her personal life and professional career. With refreshing candor, Tyson looks back over her life to discuss how the circumstances of her childhood in Harlem later shaped her relationship with herself and others.
“Take My Hand” by Dolen Perkins-Valdez tells the story of a recently graduated nurse who learns about an unethical medical program and becomes a whistleblower. The year is 1973 and determined to step out from her MD father’s shadow, Civil Townsend has found her first job as a nurse at a local community clinic rather than her father’s practice. Hoping to make a difference, Civil welcomes the opportunity to provide family planning advice and resources to her patients. That is until she’s faced with an ethical delimma avfter forming a connection with two preteen girls under her care.