What a wonderfully written book ... then again, what can I expect from a soror?! :)This is a beautiful story about Bebe Moore Campbell's life growing up with her divorced parents: her mom who lived in Philly, and her dad (a paraplegic) who lived in North Carolina. As a young girl, Bebe completely idolizes her father even though she's not with him for at least nine months out of the year ... but as she grows up, she comes to see his many flaws. Nonetheless, she still maintains a relationship with him. "My father took care of me. Our separation didn't stunt me or condemn me to a lesser humanity. His absence never made me a fatherless child. I'm not fatherless now."
Even though this book didn't change my perspective on life - which is what would have earned it a spot in my "best non-fiction books" list - it is possibly one of the best-written books I've read, right up there with Malcolm Gladwell's works. Campbell does an exquisite job of capturing the essence of a child's thoughts and expresses them in an adult way, if that makes any sense. Check out this passage:
"I turned around and took a quick look at the front door. Coast was clear. I stuck my wet thumb back in my mouth and covered it with my other hand, just in case Nana or Mommy came outside. My mother was paying me ten cents a day not to suck my thumb and I'd already collected my dime. The rhythmic sucking flooded my body with tranquility for a minute until the urge for even greater pleasure made me bold and I took away my "cover" hand, reached up and started pulling my ear with it. Ahhhh. I hadn't been sucking and pulling for a good ten seconds when a green Buick slowed down as it approached my house. I jerked my hands away from my face, wiped my dripping thumb on the inside of my shorts and stood up, craning my neck to see if the person driving the car was my daddy ..."
How great is that passage?! Definitely a beautiful story about father-daughter relationships, and families in general ... highly recommended.
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