Reading and Remembering
Posted by Deborah - 15/02/10 at 06:02 pm
The last couple of weeks have been great for reading for the African Diasora Reading challenge. I completed two books last week.
The first book was Daughters of the Stone by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa. The cover of the book alone made me want to read it. Then I realized that the maternal ancestor was an artist and spiritual healer. When I first began to read the novel I was reminded of two beautiful lines from Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent:
The more a daughter knows the details of her mother’s life — without flinching or whining — the stronger the daughter.
and
You come hungry for the story that was lost. You crave words to fill the great silence that swallowed me, and my mothers, and my grandmothers before them. I wish I had more to tell of my grandmothers. It is terrible how much has been forgotten, which is why, I suppose, remembering seems a holy thing. [emphasis mine]
Whew! I am writing this today on what would have been my grandmother’s 95th birthday. She has been with me all day today so this line about remembering as a holy act really resonates with me. Llanos-Figuera writes about five generations of women from one family: Mati, a powerful healer and noted craftswoman, is grounded in her life as an African woman before she is stolen from its shores. She fights to stay connected to home and herself in her new and quickly changing world as an enslaved woman. Concha, unsure of her place, struggles with the legacy that her mother has left her and at times rejects both her mother and her past. Elena, (theoretically) modern and educated, moves to the United States to try to navigate between two cultures. Carisa brings the circle of women in her family full circle by drawing on (in the words of India.Arie) strength, courage and wisdom from all of her mothers. I loved this book.
Watch and listen to the author in her own words:
The second book I read was Orange, Mint and Honey by Carleen Brice. So I admit that it was hard to hang in there with this book after reading Daughters of the Stone. Still, who could resist a book whose character has the High Priestess of Soul as her role model and spiritual advisor– you got it – Nina Simone was her spiritual advisor! Initially, I disliked the characters — especially the whiny Shay. Still, I kept turning the pages because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Ultimately I found my self cheering for Shay, a burnt out graduate student who eventually learns to forgive her mother and herself. I guess Diamant’s quote works here too. Shay learned not to flinch or whine by the end of the novel. I definitely plan to read the author’s second novel. Oh, and the book has been made into a Lifetime movie with Queen Latifah playing the role of the mother. Can’t remember the name of the movie (it’s different from the book) but I do know that it will debut this (?) Sunday. Check your local listings 
.
Grayson Studios is the dreamworld created by Deborah R. Grayson, an artist, voracious reader and writer. Visit