African-American Books

I thought this was going to have some real substance to it. There was potential but somehow the author never got around to it. It was hard to determine what the time line was. Most of the dialogue was contrived. If it had been pared down to what was relevant to the story, this book would have been a short-story. I was two thirds through the book before the meat of the story even began and then it was so apparent how it was going to end and what the theme was, that it really didn't matter if I finished the book or not. However, I stuck it out and breathed a sigh of relief when I read the last page.

so well written.....i felt like these were actual people that i had the priveledge of knowing in my own life. wonderful stories and a cast of characters that will stay with you long after you've put this book down. a great read!

This book makes me long for a front porch, a rocking chair & good friends with stories to tell. Ms. Trobaugh certainly has given us once again people that we will not soon forget. I love all her books. Please read and enjoy.

Have you ever read a book filled with so many interesting people, and such a fascinating environment, that you didn't want it to end? That's how I felt about this title, which was my introduction to the work of Augusta Trobaugh.

Her descriptive passages are detailed and keenly observant -- you can close your eyes and "see" the entire scene. It's filled with heart, soul -- and humor (the passages with Miss Cora and Maggie are hilarious and poignant at the same time -- a rare accomplishment).

I've always had a weakness for Southern writers, and Trobaugh is a worthy successor to Eurdora Welty. I can't wait to read all of her novels!

An excellent story that was hard to set down because the author made me feel like I was sitting in a rocking chair on the huge southern front porch listening to an old family tale. Family secrets and much love between these women family members. Don't pass by this book, it's exceptionally good.

I purchased and read this book three years ago when I was a college student. I read it and honesty have to say didn't put much thought into the valuable information and advice until I entered the "Real World" aka life after college. Since working in Corporate America for the last 2 1/2 years I realize I will never be paid my worth unless I go into business for myself.
This book will lay the foundation for women that are serious about taking control of their financial destiny and life. This is a must read for women serious about success.

It is with great enthusiasm that I offer my highest recommendation for Sister CEO: The Black Woman's Guide to Starting Your Own Business. This book is a must read for any aspiring and/or established black female business owner. This book has been completely instrumental in my gowth as an entrepreneur and as a reult I regard it as my business bible. The book is both incredibly informative and inspiring. The author does an incredible job of presenting both the pros and cons of starting a business. In addition, Ms. Broussard shares both her personal experiences and those of other successful black female business owners which makes for an excellent read. This book is definitely one of the best books that I have ever read and I highly recommend it for any black woman who is thinking of starting her own business.
Nia Rose

This book gives you exactly what you need to push forward and start your own business. There's nothing like being a SISTER CEO and I will tell everyone I know about this book. Even if your business is an on-the-side part-time gig, this book helps you get moving. It's very inspirational and a MUST READ for the Sister CEOs of tomorrow.

I found this book to be good. It was packed full of information and is certainly worth its sales price. I would have enjoyed it more if it had been a little less pro black woman and complained less about racism and sexism. But the author apparently thought it was necessary to include such verbage in order to connect with her target audience.

The author is a registered investment advisor who has two businesses that she runs: (1) a financial and small business consulting firm, and (2) a personal financial advisory firm. In a nutshell, she is a consultant by trade. I see some similarities to what she does and what Suze Orman does. They are both basically CFPs who market themselves through writing books, making presentations, and getting media exposure.

As I read this book I wasn't sure if the author in writing it was being a Life Coach, a Financial Advisor, or a Business Coach. The title of this book says that the book is a "Guide to Starting Your Own Business." As a result, I expected to hear exclusively from a business coach. But chapters 1 through 4 about personal faith, purpose, and goals didn't seem to me to relate to starting a business.

For me, a "guide" is something that offers basic information or instruction and shows the way by leading, directing, or advising. As a result, this book was supposed to advise me as to how to start my own business. Unfortunately it did not do this for me very well. While it covered business plans (Chapter 12), choice of entity (Chapter 7), financing your startup (Chapter 8), cash flow and recordkeeping (Chaper 9), and marketing (chapters 14 & 15), it did not do them in a step 1, step 2, step 3 kind of way. That's what I expected when I started reading this book which the title says is a guide.

The book is also dated. Coverage of choice of entity is not current. Limited liability companies (LLCs) are available throughout the US now. And their popularity has basically made partnerships, limited partnerships, and S Corps a thing of the past.

The four types of businesses discussed in Chapter 10 seemed odd to me. The auther suggests the four basic types of businesses are: product, service, mail order, and retail/restaurant. I had hoped that the author in this book would have dissected the following generic business models in detail:

>>Retail businesses
>>Service oriented businesses (part service and part product)
>>Product oriented business (part product and part service)
>>Personal service business (all personal services)
>>Distribution companies
>>Internet companies

Mail order today is pretty much an online business. And that category probably falls under Internet Companies. And what's the difference between a product business and a retail business? Don't retail businesses sell products?

And there is no talk in this book of Web sites as a marketing tool. Just another reason this book is dated. Also, I found the inclusion of Chapter 11 on franchises to be unnecessary. The target audience of this book is supposedly black women who want to BECOME financially independent. For the most part, franchises are only an option for women who are already financially independent or wealthy. I think the book would have been better if the chapter on franchising had been left out. All in all, not a bad book. 4 stars!

I am a Black Australian woman and I found this book applicable to my situation. The information crosses all boundries and the advice useful in many situations.

I wish I'd read this book 30 years ago when it came out. It's still as relevant today as it was then--and in many ways just as revolutionary. I'm not black, but it applies to anyone who does not run with the crowd and has a strong desire to look at things honestly in spite of the personal discomfort involved. Things need to change in the US--we need to see ourselves as in this thing together(life, the "American experiment"),and this book drives that home.

If you are looking for some consiousness raising, inspiring, and honest words - then this is the book that will bring that to you.I highly recommend it.

Audre Lorde is a black woman, a feminist, a lesbian, mother of two children, daughter of Grenadian immigrants, and a cancer survivor-yet none of those descriptives paints the complete picture of who she is, or how her words will undoubtedly transform all of those who read them. "Sister Outsider" is a collection of writings-including reprinted magazine articles and speeches- that spans 15 years and includes the famous riposte to Mary Daly after Lorde read "Gyn/Ecology: The Metaethics of Radical Feminism" and the oft-quoted article "Poetry Is Not a Luxury". Those who ponder the difference between eroticism and pornography will find the distinction elucidated in the piece "Uses of the Erotic". In the selection "Grenada Revisited: An Interim Report" the author meticulously details the U.S governments' affinity for imperialism, propaganda, and hypocrisy as exemplified by the invasion of the tiny island nation of Grenada. Readers will find the obvious parallels between the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and Grenada in 1983 unsettling, especially in light of the fact that this book was published in 1984. This collection is imbued with Lorde's personal experiences yet you will feel as if she is speaking directly from a place within yourself that has longed to find words of expression that until reading this book remained unspoken. When Audre Lorde writes of racism, sexism, and imperialism she is truly writing for everyone. This book is an excellent choice for someone seeking an introduction to Lorde.

No poems this time around, folks: prose that gets under your skin and into your head. The late, great Audre Lorde, known primarily for her poetry over the years, wrote what is one of the most compelling books on sociology, sexuality, racism and the nature of human character and existence in the last 20 years. Her charges are damning, but dashed with more than a spoonful of hope when appropriate, and it is impossible to walk away from this book unchanged.

No New Age-isms, no agendas...just common-sense reactions to everyday experiences told in a way that not only everyone can understand, but in a way everyone SHOULD understand.

"I have come to work on you like a drug or a chisel" wrote the late Audre Lorde. Her passing created a hollow space in my soul that is now full again, thanks to Audre Lorde. Despite the fact that 'Sister Outsider' is assigned in virtually every women's studies and gender studies 101, do not think it is dry, ultimately a mere 'academic' book. Audre Lorde lived in and for a radical poetics and a radical pedagogy. If you have not discovered her work yet, please get a hold of a copy. It might save your life the way it saved mine, and I am white, male and straight, with a fierce hatred of white supremacy, patriarchy, and homophobia. But never mind my repeating a mantra you have heard, simply read this book as soon as possible.

The author notes that as a ten year old in Detroit he loved the program SEA HUNT. Scuba diving led to a journey to uncover a slave ship's past. The book opens with a timeline of events significant to the operation of the HENRIETTA MARIE.

Mel Fisher is probably the most well known treasure hunter in the world. Moe Molinar, a successful black treasure hunter, found the shackles. Additional diving in 1973 produced more rusted shackles. They were stored in a warehouse in Key West. The first artifact identifying the wreck was a bell inscribed HENRIETTA MARIE, 1699. This was discovered by David Moore, an archeologist, in the Gulf of Mexico.

The author conducted research at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England. David Moore and the author were haunted by the one hundred shackles found in the wreck of the HENRIETTA MARIE. Their presence showed without a doubt the ship's purpose. The author had been taught by his mother to use the story of slavery for inspiration.

On its second slave voyage, and what proved to be its last, two hundred fifty Africans began the trip. Landfall after the Middle Passage was a location in Jamaica, Port Royal, where the African people were sold for three thousand one hundred forty four pounds. In the Florida straits the HENRIETTA MARIE was blindsided by strong winds. The ship sank thirty seven miles west of Key West.

In Jamaica Michael Cottman, the author, may have met descendants of the people transported on the HENRIETTA MARIE. They had the same surname as a family of Jamaican plantation owners and English manufacturers of the cannon installed on the HENRIETTA MARIE. The meeting in Jamaica occurred after four years of research.

In 1992 Michael Cottman attended his first national conference of the National Association of Black Scuba Divers. It was the organization's second national meeting. Safe diving practice means sticking to a buddy system. The association of black divers grew out of the need to obtain partners to follow the sport of scuba diving.

The dive to the HENRIETTA MARIE was undertaken in May, 1993. It was quite an accomplishment to find the wreck after an absence of nine years; sand shifts, currents move and displace objects. Visibility underwater is frequently poor. Having located the wreck of the slave ship the HENRIETTA MARIE on New Ground Reef, the divers paid tribute to those ancestors and others who lost their lives during the Middle Passage. The dive was a sort of pilgrimage.

In 1996 Cottman went to Dakar, to Goree Island. Historians believe the HENRIETTA MARIE once sailed along the West Coast of Africa. In 1996 since there were severe problems in Nigeria, Cottman elected to travel to Senegal. Michael Cottman and his guide went to a structure named the House of Slaves. Goree Island was a place of mass suffering and tormented souls.

The book is moving. The terrible wound inflicted, slavery, needs to be discussed in this country. There is a Holocaust Museum memorializing a European event. No museum memorializes the peculiar institution.

I have always wanted to visit the Motherland, but never more than after reading Michael Cottman's "Spirit Dive." I thoroughly enjoyed his rich descriptions of the people and places he encountered there on his quest, especially his visit to the Door of No Return on Goree Island and scuba diving the clear water off the west African coast. I enjoyed the passages about scuba diving--the kinship between the black divers, the adventures of the underwater treasure hunters, Cottman's encounters with playful schools of fish and no-so-playful sharks. I also found impressive the detail the book included of the workings of the slave trade from a business perspective--the way the enslavers were so single-minded in their greed that they completely disregarded the value of black life. I will never forget the image of the tiny shackles imprisoning babies--it was disturbing but richly described. I found it difficult to put "Spirit Dive" down and have shared it with my young son, nephews, nieces and several friends. So many of the stories about slavery and the struggle of our forebearers are written in a disconnected way. This book was a warm and personal account of a journalist and father's search for truth about his heritage.

The account of the discovery of this slave ship and the painstaking research that went into telling us its history is inspiring. Cottman writes it in a spiritually uplifting and journalistically compelling manner. Every American should read it and share it with every child they know.

It's not often that a book successfully makes the link between contemporary man and the past. Spirit Dive by Michael H. Cottman is a notable exception.

Cottman's journey back through time to research the history of a slave ship is an eye-opening work, rich with details about the operation of the slave trade, the risks and the lucrative payoffs for the slavers, which helps to explain why it became a major industry.

It's also a story of how contemporary men -- black and white -- came together to document an accurate history of an event that was a perfect example of scenes that were played out repeatedly as slave ships traversed the Atlantic.

It was a perfect circle in many ways. Slavery drove white and black apart over an uncommon evil, but hundreds of years later, the search for the slave ship brought black and white together for a common good.

I really enjoyed reading Spirit Dive. I found it very interesting, inspiring and informative. It was an excellent way to learn about slavery without feeling depressed. I liked the idea of weaving one man's personal experience with the history of one slave ship. The book made me laugh and cry. But it gave me a new way of thinking regarding the issue of slavery - African Americans survived slavery and continue to be a strong race of people.

The book is displayed proudly in my home. I read the book and enjoyed the narratives on each chapter and the comments of each artist. I was very pleased to see the different "twists" and "spins" of each artists work. Looking at the pictures, you can almost touch the colors, textures and the spirit of the work. I've been to several art shows in which some of the featured artists work were on display. I had the opportunity to attend a quilt show in Huntsville AL to hear Yvonne Wells talk about her work and I was extremely pleased that the works of quilt artists are being highlighted in one woman/man shows. The book was long overdue!!!!! Thank you to the artist C. Mazloomi!!!

I received this wonderful book from my son,(via an Amazon gift certificate) for Mother's Day. It is very meaningful because I've had the pleasure of meeting and viewing the works of several of the featured artists including the author. The women are as warm and vibrant as their creations and willing to share their God-given talent with emerging quilters like myself. The colors in this book leap off the pages and wrap themselves around you , just as the original quilts were meant to do. I agree with another reviewer; even if I didn't know which end of the needle to thread this will be a most cherished gift. I am extremely & excitedly inspired.

My daughter bought this book for me and I will be forever in her debt for doing so. I am a fairly new quilter, and have been looking a long time for quilts that would reflect the african diaspora. This one does it in spades. The colors and artistic expression of the quilts is unparalled. Kudos to those who submitted quilts. It has been an inspiration to me.

If you're looking for inspiration for your quilt making, this is the book. It's like taking a walk through a museum of history and culture. Filled with color photos.

Having the pleasure of seeing the traveling exhibit of "Spirits of the Cloth" before it became a book was the first thrill! Having met one of the quilters through an African American Quilting group on Prodigy, it is now a pleasure and privilege to see not only the work of Kyra Hicks in full color, but also those of the many talented artists in this art form. It is a book that makes it possible to take quilting beond its borders and add new dimensions to the concept of quilting! Way to go, artists in this book!

You may not want to eat striped ice cream afterwards but you will want to go swimming and eat cream cheese sandwiches afterwards and get a part time job. I would recommend this book to any one.

I read this book when I was in 4th or 5th grade. I remember going to the local library and checking this book out all the time. A few years ago I had the opportunity to read it again. It still made me cry at the end. I love the story and characters in this book. I have a ten year old daughter now and I am going to purchase this for her for Christmas. I can't wait for her to read it. I hope she enjoys as much as I did.

I remember this book so vividly! It was the first time I realized that there were children in our country whose parents couldn't give them everything they wanted! It seemed amazing to me that they worked so hard to get her something that I took for granted!
This is a must read for all kids, especially privileged children.

I remember reading this for the first time at about the age of 9 and loving it. I read it many times through the years. I recently picked up a copy for my collection of childhood favorites and have re-read it several times since. The story still rings with impact and life-lessons that still apply in today's world. An enjoyable book for a young girl!

I read this when i was a little kid and couldn't bear to give it away when i cleaned out my room because it was such a good story. Very good read and is very entertaining!

I like the way the author brought the Jordan and Starris together. The love between the two was evident for eveyone to see. The story was well written with enough drama and romance to keep you turning the pages.

This book is great. I have read it over and over again. This is one of my favorite books.

I am a true romance reader and I consider this book a wonderful addition to my collection. Subtle Secrets by Wanda Y. Thomas is a nice read with a light taste of mystery added to the mix. Starris Gilmore is looking for steady employment so she can adopt Danielle Kathryn Carter, a beautiful little girl who was left on the doorsteps of an orphanage when she was just an infant. After leaving behind a verbal abusive marriage, Starris feels she has truly found peace and love with Danielle, which she affectionately calls Dani. Starris interviews for a position with ROBY headed by Jordan Banks, but is turned down. Though she is perfect for the job, she is left with seeking employment elsewhere to ensure that nothing stands in her way of adopting Dani.

Jordan Banks is executive director of ROBY, a mentoring and job opportunity program for young males from the inner city. Jordan is still recovering from a marriage gone bad from the very beginning. His ex-wife is found murdered by an unknown suspect, and he soon learns he has a daughter who was left in a home for children in Atlanta. After bringing his daughter Jolie Kathryn Banks home, he vows to himself that he will never love or trust another woman again. Starris and Jordan become more aware of each other when they both find out that their daughters are best friends. The sparks begin to fly and the girls begin plotting ways to bring their parents together. What stands out is the fact that the girls not only get along well as if they are sisters, but they look similar in features.

Leaving the suspense right there, you are in for a wonderful romantic and intense story about people who are afraid to love again; afraid to face their "demons" and move on; afraid to forgive and forget, and afraid to love each other. As Starris and Jordan soon learn and reveal through a plotting siniser employee working for ROBY, and who holds a key connection to the girls' past, their love is finally tested.

Ms. Thomas does a wonderful job of staging every detail of emotion that anyone could endure after being hurt and so afraid to try again. I especially enjoyed her character development of Jolie and Dani, they will make you relate and smile several times throughout the story. As that famous saying goes "out of the mouth of babes comes much wisdom." I also recommend that you read the author's note in the back of the book. You will learn that this storyline is very dear to Ms. Thomas. Thank you for making us understand and the continued awareness of parentless children needing to love and be loved. I highly recommend this for the romantic reader, you will not be disappointed. I applaud Ms. Thomas and graciously give Subtle Secrets a rating of 4.

Reviewed by Kalaani

I loved it! This was my first book written by Wanda Thomas, but it will definitely not be my last!! Ms. Thomas has not only been added to my book list, but her books have become some of the top priorities. "Subtle Secrets" is not only about the love of a man and woman, Jordan Banks and Starris Gilmore, but it is about love of family. Life has dealt some hard blows to both Jordan and Starris, but each has been blessed with the love of a child -- Jolie Kathryn Banks and Danielle "Dani" Kathryn Carter. Ironically their lives are entwined in more ways than one.
Starris first encounters Jordan at her friend's home. Then, later meets face to face when Starris applies for a much needed job at ROBY, where Jordan is the director. From there, they discover that their daughters are best friends. Starris and Jordan's relationship at first is bumpy, but soon the bumps began to smooth out as they are constantly thrown together and can no longer deny their mutual feelings.
"Subtle Secrets" also gives the reader insight into the welfare adoption system. Dani may not be Starris' biological daughter, but Starris has all the love for Dani that a natural mother would have for her child. Dani's and Jolie's lives are entwined with similarities that cannot be ignored. They both were abandoned as infants at an orphanage. However, Jolie was blessed with the love of her father, Jordan, and his wonderful family. Dani was not so blessed until Starris came into her life, then all the love that Dani has kept bottled inside came pouring out to the only mother she had ever known - Starris.
"Subtle Secrets" is a touching, heartwarming, loving story about family, faith, trust, and caring. It's also about overcoming lack of trust and the old hurts from the past. Not only are the adults affected, but the children are also embroiled in old wounds from the past. However, true love will outweigh all ills and bring new joy.
Great read and I look forward to reading the other books written by Ms. Thomas. My next one to read will be Shelby's and Nelson's story, "Truly Inseparable."

This is my second book by the author Wanda Thomas. I love the way she writes a love story and also inform you about life matters. Her latest novel involves Starris Gilmore and Jordan Banks.

Starris has come from a terrible marriage and believes that she is unlovable to a man. Her ex-husband got a kick out of abusing her emotionally in front of their guest. In the process of healing she volunteered to help children. This is where she met a little girl that she now wants to adopt. In order to adopt she must have stable employment.

When Starris walks into Jordan's office for a job interview he knew that he could not hire her because he was sexually attracted to her.

Jordan has also come through a bad marriage. Jordan learns of a daughter that he didn't know he had until after his ex-wife is murdered. He vows never to give his love to another woman again. But once his path crosses with Starris, he vow is tested.

Will they get together? I love the way the author has all the characters playing a big part in telling this story. The girls were very funny in their schemes to get their parents together.

You will truly love this page turning story. I hope to see a story on Jordan's sister.

After reading Earl G. Graves's bitter autobiography, I fully expected John H. Johnson's manuscript for success to be riddled with distain. I was pleasantly surprised however to find that Johnson; through such works as, Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, and How to Win Friends..., by Dale Carnegie, made a fortune turning social negatives into profitable and professional positives. Having met eight U. S. Presidents along the way, Johnson's autobiography is a refreshing treatise on determination. It should be noted that much of Johnson's success came about before integration, when the African American community lived by the, "it takes a village," mentality. The nurturing he was provided during the early years provided for a favorable turn of events ultimately guiding him; not without the requisite obstacles, toward a life of success. John H. Johnson's, `Succeeding Against the Odds,' is a testament to the spoils of desire, determination, delayed gratification and a strong belief in one self. Bravo Mr. Johnson, well done! I issue this glowing review however with a caveat; there are a few grammatical errors; thus, my conservative rating, nevertheless, this was a fun read.

I bought this Book way back in 1992.I always Admired Mr.John H.Johnson for all that He overcame&also for providing Ebony&Jet into my early childhood all the to the present. what He overcame&what He Accomplsihed is truly incredible. He created magazines that spoke&gave Black America a Fair shake at the Newsstand&also showed our world in a up-lifting light. John H.Johnson is a true Pioneer who trail-blazed so much for the better.RIP&this is a Must have Book.

I could definitely related to Mr.Johnson's story. It is inspiring, insightful, and truly a guide to those of us on the often obstacle laden road to success.

Never allow your personal feelings or emotions to close the doors of oppourtunities. Where the is a will there truly is a way. His story is remarkable and his book enables you to understand that yours is too.

Think and Grow Rich...

This book uplifted the self esteem of me and many other African Americans. It was the story of a black man raised in rural Arkansas who had a dream. He figured out at an early age that African Americans wanted to know about what was happening in their community. There where only so many if any stories about us in Life Magazine. And if they did publish something about us it was negative. Why couldn't African Americans have a magazine of their own? One that told stories, positive stories about our lives, our heroes, and our history. This book gave me hope to know that even a lower middle class, African American boy from the Bronx like myself could grow up and strive for greatness amongst our people and the rest of society. John H. Johnson's publications are over 50 years old now and are still giving us stories that uplift our minds, bodies and spirits. Reading this book is not only a joy and a honor but it should be required reading for all African Americans and focal point of reading for all others.

In his book, Johnson states "There is an advantage in every disadvantage, and a gift in every problem" and "I believe that the greater the handicap the greater the triumph." By this he means to say that disadvantage creates opportunities and forces one to do more with less. He believed that disadvantages were "...challenges to be overcome and not facts to be accepted." A disadvantage provides a challenge that, with the proper motivation and mindset, forces one to try a little harder and work a little smarter.

Two distinct disadvantages that Johnson cites are early in his life: 1) Arkansas City (his birthplace) did not provide a high school education for African Americans, and 2) The economic depression stemming from the Great Depression. These two disadvantages, when taken together, provided a sort of "critical mass" that propelled Johnson on the trajectory that is his story -- his move to Chicago and subsequent business endeavors.

The fact that the disadvantages cited above were realized so early in life is worth note. There is a scientific discipline known as "Chaos Theory" that, among other precepts, states that the time evolution of a series of interrelated complex events is extremely sensitive to the system's initial condition. The analogy that may be drawn to Johnson's life is this: had he not moved to Chicago due to his ambition and his Mother's tremendous sacrifices for her son's education, it would have become increasingly difficult for Johnson to have succeeded to the extent he did, as chronicled in his autobiography.

This statement is supported by the many references he makes in the book about the seemingly random events that led to his success as a businessman; Johnson states, "I'm scared someone with pinch me and wake me up." Thus, it seems that the many disadvantages the author faced throughout life, most notably (in his words) early in life, created an advantage, which led him to great wealth and notoriety.

Seventy-five dollars seem like a fortune to one family, until Mama get a revelation to sell sweet potato
pies at the Harvest Convention. The family unite using their individual skills. Mama's sweet potato pies leave the town people begging for more of the now famous sweet potato pies. The family discover the secret to success is family unity and Mama's sweet potato pies.

What a treat! A delightfully written, beautifully illustrated treasure that will hold a special place on my bookshelf for many years to come. I've already read it to two of my grandchildren, and very successfully used it in a tutoring session with an older child. This lovingly crafted story of love, determination, and family provided a springboard to discussion with my student that proved enlightening for both of us. He has even asked to read it again next session. Bravo, Kathleen Linsey! When can we expect the next?

As a former grammar school librarian, I highly recommend Sweet Potato Pie by Kathleen D.Lindsey. This book can be used as a
springboard to discussions about families and problem solving.
I would also recommend it as a gift for a favorite child. The illustrations are a wonderful compliment to the story. I tried the recipe for the pie crust and got rave reviews at Thanksgiving. Get it - you'll be glad you did!!

Sweet Potato Pie is a wonderful book. I have bought one for every child in my family. This book will make you laugh, cry and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The story is very heartwarming and fun. I recommned this book to everyone. The illustrations will make you want to read the book over and over again. Thank you Kathleen Lindsey for writing this wonderful book!

Kathleen Lindsey has written a wonderful book that captures the spirit of family love and unity. I have purchased four books and I've given three to family members as gifts. The artwork is excellent and beautifully captures the story. You will love how Sadie, the narrator, tells a heartwarming story of a family uniting together to save their farm. "Sweet Potato Pie" is a sweet story written by a talented author.

In the year 1992, I first found Ms. Vanzant's book and was immediately drawn to Her Vison, Knowledge and neverending quest forthe TRUTH. This and all Her books should be read, analysed,synthesized,evaluated andpracticed for everyone! All God's children should be invited to "Seek the TRUTH"

The book is very comprehensible and easy to follow. I felt empowered, encouraged and loved. Thank you Iyanla for letting God's spirit envelop you, and for passing it on.

I found Mrs. Vanzant's book to be very inspirational to me. i was very low in my self esteem being a dark skinned sister with hort hair but Iyanla has taught me to love myself first. since i read the book i have been such a positive person and i owe it all to her.

I have been able to put into perspective, how the depths of spirit can be in the palms of our hands. The author takes me from a level of self to a level of spirit and I remain in awe as I see how truth is told to me every day. Prayer has always been important in my family. The altar also plays a focal point in our lives ( my family) as we continue the journey and I enjoy just feeling a sense of oneness that before, I had ignored.

I have had this book for a long time and decided to read it for the first time this summer and I want all the readers to know this is truly an inspirational book. it's one of Iyanla's earlier books it is raw but believe me I couldn't put it down. This book will make you sad, happy you will cry but most of all you will learn a lesson. I thoroughly enjoyed this book most of all I have all of her books but this one I feel is best of them all.