Reaching back

the long version

Mignon Samuals had always ben a striver, reaching out with both hands to grab her dreams. She'd married a man whose success and "high-yella" skin offered passage into the promise land of the black middle class. She'd borne him three beautiful daughters, tasted all that money can buy. But money can't mend a marriage broken by cruelty and pain, and after too many unhappy years, Mignon is determined to seek her own way. A well-worn leather journal is her guide, a book passed down through the women of Mignon's family. It teems with the wisdom of generations, chronicling the hardships and celebrating the endurance that hints at her own inner strength. But will she have the courage she'll need to rise up and reclaim the happiness that is her birthright?