Inspired by the life of Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to travel in space, Mae Among the Stars is a fictionalized story of her childhood. Focusing on the highlights as well as her mother and fathers support, along with her own determination to dance in the stars, Roda Ahmend and Stasia Burrington created a new gem to read. The afterwards gives more of a broader view of who Jemison was and the time frame of when these things were happening. Beautifully illustrated, they are […]
A worthy literary endeavor that left me underwhelmed
Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Underground Railroad, was another Mocha Girls Read book club selection. The novel follows Cora on her Odyssey-like journey to escape slavery traveling a magical realistic underground railroad. “Here was the true Great Spirit, the divine thread connecting all human endeavor – if you can keep it, it is yours. Your property, slave or continent. The American imperative.” – page 80 It begins in Africa following the first slaves as they were stolen and brought over to America. From […]
Who knew buying a small town on eBay would lead to finding your purpose in life
I had the fortune of visiting The Ripped Bodice to see Beverly Jenkins speak about her new historical romance novel, Breathless. After the event, I was kindly invited to join the LA chapter of Mocha Girls Read book club. I’m so thankful Ms. Jenkins and my favorite bookstore introduced me to a lovely book club group! Having an in-person book club kept up my motivation to read more books to review for Cannonball Read. :) Bring on the Blessings by Beverly Jenkins was the February selection and much needed palette cleanser […]
Untold Stories Unearthed
Politics in any form is hard for me. I avoid confrontation and disagreement like the plague, so almost everything to do with politics makes me go running for the nearest blanket to hide under. But one of my Political Science students brought me a book catalog from a trip she went on, and The President’s Kitchen Cabinet was in it. I love food and anything to do with it, and looking at the history of politics through the lens of a thing I enjoy made this […]