Laurie S. (LaurieS) reviewed on 7/1/2009 + 504 more book reviews

It tells the story of dirt poor 13 year old Tansy Mae, one of ten children born to her unstable and at times very abusive mother. Tansy's mother is black but easily passes for white and makes her living cleaning houses for rich folks and pleasing the men of the house (but she keeps this from the younger kids). Her mother expects them all to quit school and get a job to help support them. Tansy is smarter than the rest and wants to complete school but her mother has other ideas and once Tansy becomes "of age" she's going to discover some ugly truths about her mother and her angry older sister.

Tansy has a difficult life, both at home and out. She's the darkest of all of her siblings and growing up in Georgia back in the 1950's and faces prejudice on a daily basis. This is her story, told in her voice and it is an excellent one that gripped me from the first page. It's heartbreaking and real and a book that isn't easily forgettable. My only minor complaint is that I wish it had gone on a bit longer but that's me being selfish.

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