Atria Books
"A vivid and affectionate portrait...Grandmother Ernestine is the keeper of wisdom, stories, hopes, and dreams. Thank you, Jewell Parker Rhodes, for sharing her with us." -- Amy Hill Hearth, "A loving ode to the power and strength of one woman's voice." -- Gail Tsukiyama, "Mystical and down-to-earth...a more coherent and poetic grandmother narrative than most anybody ever had." -- Lorene Cary,
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PORCH STORIESAbandoned by her mother at eight months old, Jewell Parker Rhodes was placed in the care of her father and his mother. While Grandmother Ernestine’s house in Pittsburgh had its problems (crumbling bricks, no air conditioning, and sizable rodents), she was still able to fill it with immeasurable amounts of love. She took in four other grandchildren, in addition to Jewell. Everyone on their Pittsburgh street knew, and loved, Grandmother Ernestine; men would tip their hats and children would rush for a hug any time she was outside. However, no one loved Grandmother Ernestine more than Jewell. Jewell would give up a movie with her cousins to sit outside on their front stoop and listen to her grandmother’s stories that had been passed down from previous generations. Her power as a storyteller made it possible for Jewell, and the rest of her grandchildren, to overcome the ordinary and extraordinary challenges life brings. Rhodes’s collection demonstrates how a child can carry a grandmother’s words into adulthood and still feel her influence and warmth. Described by Rhodes as “an intergenerational love song,” Porch Stories is a loving tribute that is both reverent and affectionate.
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Porch Stories |
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