FREE: Betsey Brown by Ntozake Shange

The listing, Betsey Brown by Ntozake Shange has ended.

Betsey Brown is a coming of age story set in 1957 St. Louis. Betsey has to come to terms with being of the first to integrate a white school, but Shange does not give us the same-ol'-same-ol' blues about how bad it is. Betsey is an individual and the experience has its ups and downs. What is very interesting is her home life and the issues many black girls face. Her mother is lighter skinned with relaxed hair. Her maternal grandmother, also light skinned, is color struck. Her father is very black and not too well-liked by the grandmother though he is a good provider. Betsey wonders why her mother's hair is different than hers and finds out innocently during her first trip to the beauty shop. The book also has the reader experience Betsey's first experience with boys. She truly has no idea what to do when a boy comes to visit. Of course grandma is snooping. Betsey Brown is not as fast as most girls today, but I think her innocence is appealing, and most girls still have the same..

**Used paperback in good condition **