This September I read four memoirs!
Advanced Reading Copies of
Motherhood So White by Nefertiti Austin were provided to my library book club by the
Book Club Cookbook through their
Galley Match. Along with receiving copies of the book for all our regular book club members we also had a Skype visit with the author!
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| The Wednesday Afternoon Book Club |
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| Skyping with Nefertiti Austin |
Austin's experience as a single black woman adopting an African American boy inspired her to write her memoir. She discovered a dearth of books that spoke to her personal situation, as if motherhood and adoption were white-only experiences. Austin addresses issues of systemic racism and stereotypes, the demands of California's adoption system, and the work and joy of raising a child as a single parent.
The book club has immensely enjoyed talking to the authors of our book selections, both because the writers become 'real' and so we can ask questions. We learned that Austin's editor said her first draft was too impersonal, her second draft too revealing! That makes three drafts on the road to publication! Also that she changed names to protect people's privacy.
Overall, our readers felt the book was educational and thought-provoking and thought Austin was delightful. Several readers 'loved' the book, one did not care for it. Several people also gained insight into the African American worldview and experience that was new to them.
Find a reading group guide at
Motherhood So White
by Nefertiti Austin
Sourcebooks
September 2019
ISBN: 9781492679011
$25.99 hardcover
After hearing a lot about
Redlined by Linda Gartz, I purchased it on Kindle. Gartz offers a vivid and compelling family history against the backdrop of their changing Chicago neighborhood. She keeps a balanced understanding of the legacy of 'redlining'--the enforcing of physical racial boundaries--and its impact on her white family and the African American community. The bulk of the story involves her parents' relationship, with insights gleaned from their letters and diaries. Their determination to stay in their changing neighborhood as dedicated landlords was both their strength and their downfall. I found it an enjoyable memoir.
View the trailer at
https://youtu.be/jmAnBPYrl6g
Redlined: A Memoir of Race, Change, and Fractured Community in 1960s Chicago
by Linda Gartz
She Writes Press
April 3, 2018
ISBN-10: 1631523201
ISBN-13: 978-1631523205
$8.69 ebook, $11.52 paperback
Greek To Me by Mary Norris was a find at the Barnes and Noble #Blowout sale. I loved Norris's blend of humor, travelogue, and memoir about her love affair with the Greek language, country, and literary history. The descriptive writing about Greece is beautiful--I feel like I have experienced it with her. It was a joy to read. I laughed, I was educated, and I was entertained.
Greek to Me
by Mary Norris
Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date: 04/02/2019
ISBN-13: 9781324001270
Two Minus One by Kathryn Taylor tells the story of the unexpected unraveling of her second marriage. Just over 150 pages, it is a quick and easy read. The tone felt even and subjective as Taylor describes her long friendship with the married man who unexpectedly announced his love, leading to courtship and marriage. He professed his devotion...until he came home one day and told her it was over. Having given up her job, home, and friends to support her husband's career, Taylor had to deal with grief and recovery at age 60. The memoir will be an inspiration to women who are grieving over a failed relationship. I read a Kindle version of this book.
Two Minus One
by Kathryn Taylor
She Writes Press
November 6, 2018
ISBN-10: 1631524542
ISBN-13: 978-1631524547
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