The Darkest Child

Title: The Darkest Child 4 / 5
Author: Delores Phillips
2004
Began Reading: 05/13/2009
Ended Reading: 05/24/2009

Format: CD





OK, where to begin. This book was downright painful. It would have been an uplifting story had this same story not been told so many times before. I have come to see from websites I have been frequenting that Black Women's fiction is rife with the same tired cliches and stories that have been told and retold.

I realize that many BW believe these stories are true about the majority of BW. We believe, even if we reside in suburbia that most BW have these miserable lives. I have to agree with Evia, that our fiction should be only uplifting. BW are the only women who are OK with wallowing in misery.

This story follows the life of Tangy Mae. A little girl born to a mother with severe emotional problems. She is one of ten children born to Rozelle Quinn. Tangy Mae is taught to believe she is ugly, but what she lacks in perceived beauty, she more than makes up for in intelligence. Tangy Mae and her brothers and sisters are abused and tortured in every sense of the word.
Rozelle does and allows things to be done to her children that no human being should even be capable of.

I did rate this book highly because the writer is great. She told a convincing, horrific tale. She told it in a way that I had no other choice but to pull for Tangy Mae. I, in no way wanted her or her siblings to stay in that evil home occupied by the demonic Rozelle Quinn. However, as a voracious reader I can't say I have not read tomes like this before.

I do believe as Evia does, that as BW we need fiction that helps us to escape this kind of life. Even though Ms. Phillips is a master storyteller I just believe that our fiction can be so depressing. It has nothing to make us look forward to. I know somtimes that we want things that have no redeeming value, but this kind of fiction is not uncommon with BW fiction. Most books that are marketed to BW have this similar theme. Look at the movie Push coming put soon. The movie / book has the same theme. A girl abused...

I did know what this book was about. It was recommended to me years ago. I promised her I would read the book, but never got around to it. Now I remember why I was in no rush to read this book.