I came away with respect and awe for the main character, Mae Lee Barnes, who raised five children without the help of a husband OR welfare or food stamps. Mae Lee's mother and father instilled in her the value of hard work and saving money and she became a land owner in a time when few blacks owned land---much less a black woman with five children. This book is the intriguing story of her life. Very enjoyable, uplifting read!

7 of 7 found the following review helpful:


This is the way it was. Really.  Nov 18, 1998
Is is possible for a black Southerner - or a white one - to write without predjudice? Apparently it is, and Dori Sanders has done so. She has no axe to grind, just a good story to tell about growing up on a black farm in South Carolina in the years that encompass (but do not end with) World War II and the beginnings of the Civil Rights movement. Just when you thought you knew "how it was", here comes a different slant: Mae Lee (like Dori Sanders herself) is unusual for a Southern black woman, in that she owns her farm -- not that that solves her problems.

0 of 1 found the following review helpful:


Recipes and good black history.  Jan 29, 2011 By Norma F. Gillespie "Women's Literature Buff"
Dori shares life as a poor black, shares great "down home" recipes, too. You will want to keep this book and find out all you can about Dori Sanders.

0 of 1 found the following review helpful:


Loved It  Nov 12, 2005 By thesavvybamalady "swblkdiamond"
I was hoping that this writer would come back with another book, but so far she hasn't; This story tells about a young girl who marries a hometown boy who went to WW2, saves her money until she gets some land and farm of her own; the hubby comes back, but he doesn't want the life and eventually leaves her though she agreed to move with him up north; She ends up raising the kids they had and working the farm doing pretty well for herself although it wasn't an easy road; But as she ages, she becomes more settled about life and to me it's a good easy read;