Kbrooks' Biography Reviews
Women
Who do you Think You Are?
by Alyse Myers
This book is for any struggling mother/daughter relationships. It just goes to show that not all of these relationships are perfect and sometimes it is best just to stay away to protect the heart as well as to remain sane. In this story Alyse's mother does not seem to like her and it is mutual. Her mother beats her with a strap, chain smoke cigarettes. and has no ambition. After her dad dies her mother has to work, but never seems to get a job that can help them rise above their meager existence. Her two younger sisters seem to get a better deal with their mom and Alyse ends up leaving her mother's house for good after one of her mothers' angry tirades. Alyse pulls herself together and works her way through college. For many of us ambitious baby boomers, this story really hits home. I give it **** out of five stars.
Tender at the Bone
by Ruth Reichl
Ruth reminisces about her childhood, her college years and her marriage to Doug. She tells of being dropped off at boarding school in France after telling her mom in passing that she would love to speak French. She was left in France and did not speak the language. She has a hard time adjusting until she befriends a rich girl. She discovers her love of food in this book as it is the only thing that keeps her sane in many situations. After cooking for everyone in her community housing arrangement, she tries her hand at social work. One day she is invited to be a food critic and the rest is history. This series is very good. I give it *** out of five stars.
Not Becoming My Mother
by Ruth Reichl
Ruth has written several books, but she has always wanted to tell her mother's story. In this novel she finally completes this task. Her mother was hilarious. She would make dishes for family and friends in her home that was comprised of all of the things in her refrigerator. Several times after a party many of the stomachs of the guest had to be pumped. In the writing of the book Ruth discovers the mother she never knew. As a preparation for this book she goes in the basement and finds a box of old letters written to her mother and in some cases written by her mother but never mailed. With these letters she is able to peek into the mind of her mother who she never relly understood. It is a touching and hilarious story. I give it *** out of five stars.
The Other Side of Paradise
by Staceyann Chin
Stacyann Chin was given a raw deal. Her mother did not want her, her father says he is not her father. She is passed down from one relative to another and then just given to people who will take her in. After moving to a distant cousin's house, she is constantly on alert for someone sneaking into her room while she is sleep to do nasty things. Although the author has definitly had it hard, she captures the heart of the reader in this heartwarming story. It is a story that is hard to put down. I give it *** out of four stars.
The Black Girl Next Door
by Jennifer Baszile
Jennifer's family likes to keep up appearances. From the outside looking in they are the Huxtables. But all is not well. There are many secrets in this family. Jennifer's parents never talk about their families until one day she makes up an embarrassing story about her grandmother. Her parents realize it is time to go south and meet the real family. Jennifer grows up in a well to do suburban town in California. She has trouble fitting in as she is one of the few African American in most of her classes and neighborhood. There is racial grafiti written on the family driveway and a teacher who tells her classmates that blacks have special feet that makes them run faster. This book if for anyone who has to integrate a school or neighborhood or who just feel like they do not fit in anywhere. I give it *** out of five stars.
Audition
by Barbara Walters
Barbara Walters has interviewed presidents, world leaders, Oscar and Emmy worthy actors, singers and notorious characters during her illustrious career. She has married and dated men who were movers and shakers and has won interviews with Fidel Castro and Anwar Sadat. As a journalist Barbara won, but on a personal level she sometimes lost. She lost with her father, her mother, her sister and later her daughter. While Barbara was away making a life for herself, her family was struggling with many issues. Although Barabara cared about all of them, and supported them financially as much as she could, emotionally she was absent. She regretted not being there when each of her family members died. She was away working. Her heart seems to have been in the right place. This had to be painful to write about, because to most people no matter the financial success, family is really all that matters. One really disturbing part for me was when she was about to move in Merv (soon-to-be husband) and she said she had no clue what to do with her daughter for the Summer. She found a residental Summer camp for Jackie so she could have more time with her new lover. She never said anything was wrong with that. All in all this is a really good book. If you are a US history buff you will really love it. I give it **** out of five stars.
Jesus Land
by Julia Scheeres
This story is narrated by the sister of two adopted African American boys. The sister is white and so is the rest of her family. Her dad is a surgeon by day and a child abuser by night. He banishes the two boys to the basement and beats them for any and all infractions. When his daughter committs the same infractions she is sent to her room. The older boy starts taking the beatings out on his white adopted sister, by raping her each time he is beat. She never tells for fear he will be beaten again. After the two boys are sent away, one to jail the other to a boot camp, the father starts beating his daughter. She runs away and is giving a choice by the court to return with her parents or join her brother in a third world country boot camp. She chooses boot camp. This is just the beginning of the story. This story will keep you on the edge of your seat. I give it **** out of 5 stars.
Having Our Say
by Sarah and A. Elizabeth Delany
The Delany sisters are the epitome of style, grace and what can be accomplished in spite of great odds. In their own words they describe how all ten brothers were college educated in a time where most African Americans were thought of as second class citizens. With guidance and foresight from their parents the Delany sisters learned respect for others, dignity for themselves and a drive for excellence. But moving away from the lower class neighborhoods physically, did not move them away from their people emotionally. They were always willing and determined to help anyone in need, even when they didn't have much, themselves. These two ladies lived over a hundred years each, by eating right, performing yoga and living together which made them both happy. There is so much black history in this book, especially the Harlem Renaissance and the colorful characters that made up this cultural awakening for people all over the world. I give it ***** out of five stars.
Ask Me Again Tomorrow
by Olympia Dukakis
A Girl Named Zippy
by Haven Kimmel
Haven Kimmel grew up in Mooreland, Indiana, a town so small that it actually maintains exactly 300 residents. Although Haven is from small time America, you will have big time laughs in this very humorous novel. She is nicknamed Zippy for the way she would bolt around the house as a young child. A very good read from memoir lovers everywhere. I give it *** out of five stars.
Identical Strangers
by Elyse Schein
Elyse Schein, a filmaker and one of the twins depicted, decided at the age of thirty-two to search for her biological mother. What she ended up finding out was that she was an identical twin and part of an experiment on how identical twins separated at birth could manage without the other twin. As the twins meet, they find out that they have lived near each other, have similiar manerisms and that their lives have traveled the same paths. I give it ** out of five stars.
Secret Daughter
by June Cross
Paula Dean: It Ain't all About the Cooking
by Paula Dean
Paula Deen reveals a lot about herself in this memoir. If you have ever seen her cooking show, you know she is a down-to-earth southern belle. Her book magnifies this persona and she is very candid about her marriages, her relationships with her sons and her fear of leaving her house. Opening a restaurant in Savannah, Georgia with her son's took a leap of faith on her part and there were angels that helped her to realize her dreams. She is witty and her book makes you want to hug someone. I give it *** out of five stars.
Open Wide the Freedom Gates
by Dorothy Height
Dorothy Height got her start because of her oratory abilities. After winning a county debate title she moved on to the finals in Harrisburg, Pennslyania. Because she was black she could not stay any of the nearby hotels where her white coach stayed. Although she was the only African American in the competition she won by talking about racial adversity and tied it neatly into the debate theme of the Kellogg-Briand Peace Treaty. She went on to New York University and after completing her studies began working for the YWCA. She became a visible voice in the woman's movement and has receive numerous awards as a civil rights activist. But she is perhaps best known for her role as chair of the National Council of Negro Women for over forty years. Her book includes her work with with many famous people including, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mary McCleod Bethune, President Bill Clinton. At the printing of the book she was 90 and she is still going strong today. I give it **** out of five stars.
Childtimes
by Eloise Greenfield
Losing it
by Valerie Bertinelli
Burned Alive
by Souad
Souad was just a lonly girl from a small village on the West Bank when she noticed a neighbor across the street smiling at her. Although her muslin uprbringing does not allow for her to date or have relations with men, she not only flirts with the neighbor, but she starts meeting him without her parents knowledge. The punishment for this crime is death. The young man promises her that he cares for her and that they will be together forever. This immediately changes when her belly starts growing. She knows her world and her family's world has changed forever. This is a very compelling story and not for the weak at heart. I give it **** out of five stars.
The Woman that Raised Me
by Victoria Rowell
Actress Victoria Rowell grew up as a foster child in various homes. She was never adopted but encountered some very remarkable women. At the age of eight she won a prestigious award to study ballet. She cultivated her dancing skill at the American Ballet Theatre and the Julliard School. As an actress she has played Drucilla Winters on The Young and the Restless for many years. This is the story of how the women in her life mentored her and help to shape her life. I give it ** out of five stars.
The Life and Times that Gave me Life
by Janet Cheatham Bell
