Ruth P. Watson Livres

Maggie Lena Walker was ambitious and unafraid. Her childhood in 19th-century Virginia helping her mother with her laundry service opened her eyes to the overwhelming discrepancy between the Black residents and her mother's affluent white clients. She vowed to not only secure the same kind of home and finery for herself, but she would also help others in her community achieve the same. With her single-minded determination, Maggie buckled down and went from schoolteacher to secretary-treasurer of the Independent Order of St. Luke, founder of a newspaper, a bank, and a department store where Black customers were treated with respect. With the help of influential friends like W.E.B. DuBois and Mary McLeod, she revolutionized Richmond in ways that are still felt today.

Includes a reader's discussion guide and an excerpt from 'Blackberry days of summer.'

In this sequel, the residents of Jefferson County face the return of a long-thought-defeated evil amidst a backdrop of personal struggles. Carrie Parker, balancing motherhood, work, and her marriage, begins to sense a sinister presence in her baby’s eyes. As she grapples with her fears and the shadows of the past, her commitment to ensuring her child does not resemble his biological father becomes increasingly challenged. The narrative intertwines themes of family, fear, and the haunting nature of history.