Pride of Family: Four Generations of American Women of Color

Rating:
Summary: A story of strength
Review: "The truth is I knew I was female before I knew I was black." After reading
the first line of the preface in Carole Ione's book PRIDE OF FAMILY, I was
filled with anticipation of what was to follow. I was not disappointed
because what I discovered was a wonderful account of Ione's family history and
her own told in a voice of someone who was seeking answers and understanding.
Ione's tone and writing is so inviting that you willingly take the journey with
her and you soon find yourself living with the ghosts of her foremothers and
their colorful stories.

In PRIDE OF FAMILY, Ione embarks on a journey inspired by the mystery of the
lives of the three women who raised her -- her mother, her grandmother, and
her great aunt. Each woman was radically different in her view on life, but
they were bound together by a family history that was steeped in pride and
passion. Her mother, Leighla Frances Whipper Lewis, was a journalist and
mystery writer who also acted. Her grandmother, Virginia Wheeler, was dancer
who loved to gamble and was also no stranger to cooking and cleaning. Her
great aunt, Dr. Ionia Rollin Whipper, was a conservative medical doctor in
Washington DC. Each woman lived life fully and with zest according to her own
rules and each taught little Carole a different set of rules which sometimes
confused but in the end pushed her to delve into her family's history.

PRIDE OF FAMILY exposes the vulnerability of this family of largely
accomplished women. Ione also tells the story of the men who seemed to dance
intricately in and out of each woman's story. Ione's own story is told
through telling about her foremothers and her desire to learn more about her
great grandmother, Frances Anne Rollin. PRIDE OF FAMILY is thoroughly
engrossing as well as informative. Ione brings to life the various time
periods and locations as she shares the accounts and experiences of her
relatives. She discovers her personal truths and she shares them willingly
with readers.

PRIDE OF FAMILY is a must read for history buffs and anyone with an interest
in gender studies.

Reviewed by Diane Marbury
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers


Rating:
Summary: painfully honest self-discovery
Review: I belong to the "Open Gates" bookclub of Cumberland County Public Library, Fayetteville, NC. Each month we select a work by an African American author to read and discuss. Sometimes we do not have sufficient copies of any one book and several are selected. This was one of the selections that fell into that category; with limited copies in the system, and I volunteered to read this selection. I am fascinated by self-discovery and love first person writing and narratives. Ms. Ione's book was extremely honest, and I admired her quest for her family's history of their women. She did not spare herself in that quest and the disclosure of some of the most intimate details of her own life was admirable. This is an important book because it reminds us that we are not apt to understand who we are unless we understand what made us, who made us, and those who came before us. Black folks are so involved in the daily struggle to survive, few of us have the luxury of contemplating who we are, and why we are. Thanks to Ms. Ione and all of her "sheroes". She reminded them, as well as herself, that the best of us are only human in our basic needs for affirmation.