Sandrine's Letter to Tomorrow
Dedra Johnson
Sandrine is coming of age in 1970's New Orleans.
All she wants is to be loved and cared for, but after Mamalita, her grandmother, dies, no one seems to want her. Her own mother, Shirleen doesn't seem to want her. She only seems to value Sandrine's labor, and hits her wth a paddle if everything isn't done to her satisfaction ... or if Sandrine speaks certan truths. Her father is a busy doctor who has room in his life for his mean-spirited new wife and her hapless young daughter, but seems to have no room for Sandrine.
After Mamalita's death, Sandrine comes to realize that Shirleen seems to actively hate her, even blaming her for the unwanted attention from adult men, which she is trying desperately to avoid. Sandrine feels she would be safer away from Shirleen and moves in with her father who has left his wife, but still has no time for Sandrine.
This was an outstanding debut novel. It was written in a strong, clear voice and told with such immediacy that it felt as if the author were telling her own story, which she most likely was. Whether or not she was, though, she did an excellent job of bringing the reader into her - or Sandrine's world.
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