EURweb |
VERONICA'S VIEW: A Brighter Future for Daughter Denied
*This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental – preface from the book Daughter Denied.
When the young women of Brighter Future, a transitional program for single and homeless women and their families, gathered in the conference room of the Hollywood Wilshire YMCA on a hurried Monday evening, they seemed filled with reluctant anticipation. This was their first book club meeting. And reading a novel was a first in the lives of some of these young women, particularly a book whose subject was as personally compelling as it was decidedly painful.
They each filed into the room quietly, about ten young women of diverse ethnic backgrounds whose average age was twenty-three. As they took their seats, each was visibly clutching the book of the hour, Daughter Denied, written by author and playwright Alretha Thomas who was their special guest speaker. The books were generously donated by gospel singer Anna Moore who thought that the story of a young girl’s tumultuous journey to adulthood would not only be something they could relate to, but one that would inspire them.
Alretha appeared to sit comfortably among the young women. She was poised, well coiffed and well-heeled. She had spoken before many book clubs and given countless interviews while promoting her book across the nation. But this audience was unlike any other she had addressed before. They were young women whose lives had been impaled by drugs, neglect, homelessness, family violence and sexual abuse much like the characters in Daughter Denied and to the surprise of the young women of Brighter Future, much like Alretha’s life.
“A lot of events in my childhood inspired me to write this book. Although there is a lot of truth in it, it’s fiction and not a memoir,” said Alretha as a disclaimer.
Alretha shared with the young women her story about growing up in the projects in San Francisco, California with an abusive stepfather, and a mother who had an untimely death when Alretha was only 14-years-old. She talked about her own battle with anorexia and bulimia and other poor life choices, all to cope with her sense of pain and loss. And she talked about the day she hit rock bottom and how she later turned her life around with the help of a 12-step program.
“Society can chip away at you and make you feel worthless,” said a tearful Alretha to the group of spellbound young women. “But everyone should know that they are valuable and wonderful.”
The young women asked Alretha a myriad of thoughtful and probing questions about her approach in writing the book and the trajectory of the lead character, 7-year-old Tina who endured a deleterious childhood yet remained resilient.Their discussion was initially impassive and stoic. But they soon opened up like flower petals unfurling from the warmth of the sun.
Their emotions became raw and fluid as they shared with Alretha their struggles, fears, disappointments and dreams.And tears flowed among them when one young woman talked about the burden many women feel in being perceived as strong, particular black women, at a time in their lives when they felt terribly broken.While discussing Daughter Denied may have pushed their feelings to the surface, what gave them hope was hearing how Alretha overcame her challenges, rebuilt her life, and how she found a loving husband whom she has been married to for the past nine years.
“When these young women said that my story gave them hope and that it was like seeing the light at the end of a tunnel, it let me know that this journey I am on is not just about me,” Alretha said as she reflected on the impact her book and visit had on the Brighter Future participants.
“These are young women who are determined to reclaim their lives. Their stories do more than make me aware that there are so many others out there struggling with difficult challenges, their stories put me on track to reach out and help more young women just like those at A Brighter Future.”
(If you have comments about Veronica’s View, email them to vsview@yahoo.com.)
Click for the latest Obama - Political headlines
Share and Bookmark |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
.jpg)
