AUTHOR: GLORIA PINKNEY

ILLUSTRATOR: JERRY PINKNEY

DESCRIPTION: A city girl visits her relatives at the home place down south and learns valuable lessons in life, legacy and family love.

WHY I LIKE THIS BOOK: City/country family connections are a key focus of this lively and heartwarming text. A young girl seeks to discover her roots when her family sacrifices to buy a train ticket to send her to her mother’s birthplace. I was touched by the strong family bond maintained over time and distance through letters and visits home when possible. Memories are maintained and passed on to the younger generation through shared stories, pieces of old-style clothing and scrapbooks filled with photographic remembrances. So many families are no longer connected to the time and place from whence their families emerged. Gloria Pinkney’s depiction of her growing up provides a window on a period of time when life had a slower pace and family relationships were precious commodities to be valued and nurtured. This journey to self may inspire young and old alike to take a ride back in time to capture the rich history that is part of every family’s legacy to be cherished and passed to the next generation.

Check out my Video Read Treat for Back Home HERE.

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