by Renée Watson
First published 2025
Renée Watson examines her childhood in Portland through the lens of race, class, and gender in this semi-autobiographical poetry collection. She employs various poetic forms including haiku, tanka, prose poems, and free verse to capture memories of her younger self navigating multiple identities. Watson pays tribute to the Black women who shaped her life while addressing the complex realities young Black girls face. Her poems move between personal recollection and broader calls for empowerment. The collection features full color artwork by fine artist Ekua Holmes throughout. Watson encourages Black girls to recognize their strength and step boldly into their futures. The poems balance anger at injustice with celebration of Black girlhood and womanhood. This work serves as both personal reflection and rallying cry for sisterhood and self-acceptance.
Genres: african-american, autobiography, poetry, biography-memoir
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-reflection, rallying-cry
Setting: Portland
Period: 21st-century
96 pages · Paperback · Kokila