"And another thing.
My Mom sat me down last night and she said,
'Verna LaVaughn. You remember your college plans.'
This was not a question. She used both my names.
'Sure, I remember.' This is too offhand for her
and she snaps at me about my tone of voice.
She has radar,
can feel rudeness coming, also sarcasm
before they start.
Also fake tiredness when you don't want to answer.
With my mom you are alert at attention or nothing.
'Yes, I remember my college plans,' I say, polite."
It is amazing to me that this accomplished author kept LaVaughn and Jolly in her head
and heart over the eight year pause between the first and second book. The voice is so authentic and poignant. The young women remain courageous and determined. Jolly has found a man who wants to be a father to her children, and who encourages her in her quest to better her life. Jolly and LaVaughn remain friends while their goals differ. LaVaughn is faced with concerns…the changes in her friends, her love for Jody and her heartbreaking discovery about him, the knowledge that her mother might need someone besides LaVaughn in her own life, and her continuing involvement with Jeremy and Jilly. Her world is scary and exhilarating…guns in school, metal detectors, and the opportunity to be part of an innovative ‘women in science’ program. LaVaughn is such an amazing young woman and a wonderful character. She has much to teach each one of us. She is a ‘true believer’! Once I started I could not put the book down. Free verse allows the poet to tell so much so beautifully and in a format that appeals to readers who might be reluctant to read a longer story.
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