The Cost of Silence and The Power of Truth
Never Said a Word begins where many stories remain untold: in the quiet places of pain, shame, and survival. I take readers into my childhood, where abandonment, colorism, and abuse left scars that silence could not hide. My story shines a light on the truths that too often remain hidden within families and communities.
This is not just a book about trauma. It’s about the strength that comes from it. I show what it means to live in the shadow of secrets while learning how to break free from them. Moreover, I also invite readers to consider the cost of silence, but also the incredible power of reclaiming their voice.
At its heart, Never Said a Word is both a memoir and a movement. It speaks to anyone who has ever felt unseen, unheard, or unworthy, and reminds them that healing is possible even after years of pain.
bell hooks’ Sisters of the Yam: Black Women and Self-Recovery is not just a book; it’s a healing journey. For me, as a Black woman, it felt like a mirror reflecting back not only the struggles and pain we endure but also the strength we hold within ourselves.
Kolk brilliantly scientifically explains in layman's terms how "The Body Keeps The Score." He covers the effects trauma leaves on the brain, adult mind and body, and on the minds of children.
Brené Brown’s Daring Greatly is more than just a book—it’s an invitation to step into a life of courage, authenticity, and emotional resilience. Through her groundbreaking research on vulnerability, shame, and wholehearted living, Brown challenges the societal belief that vulnerability is weakness.
Common's Let Love Have the Last Word and its Transformative Impact on Self-Recovery.
Common’s Let Love Have the Last Word is more than just a memoir—it’s a blueprint for healing, vulnerability, and reclaiming love in all its forms.
Karen C.L. Anderson’s Difficult Mothers, Adult Daughters is more than just a book—it’s a transformative guide for those seeking to heal from the wounds of a challenging mother-daughter relationship. Anderson masterfully combines personal insights, psychological perspectives, and practical exercises to help readers shift from pain to empowerment.
Mark Wolynn’s It Didn’t Start With You is an exploration of how inherited family trauma shapes our emotional struggles, fears, and even our deepest wounds. Through compelling research in epigenetics, case studies, and practical healing exercises, Wolynn reveals the root of our emotional difficulties may not stem from our personal experiences .
Serving through and recovering from the five stages that accompany loss and love. This book defines abandonment. It explains how it is one of our most primal fears is abandonment and details the overwhelming pain, fear, and rejection that can mark the rest of your life.
Here is a book as joyous and painful, as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide.
James Baldein Go Tell it on The Mountain
A deeply soulful novel that comprehends love and cruelty, and separates the big people from the small of heart, without ever losing sympathy for those unfortunates who don’t know how to live properly.” —Zadie Smith
The beloved Zora Neale Hurston Classic—a PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick—now available in a special gift edition.
PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A spellbinding novel that transforms history into a story as powerful as Exodus and as intimate as a lullaby.
“Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye pierced my heart with its exploration of beauty, shame, and longing. Pecola’s pain reveals the violence of internalized racism and rejection. Her story reminds me to confront destructive ideas and nurture self-love. Morrison urges us to see ourselves as worthy, even when the world refuses.”
“Toni Morrison’s Beloved is a haunting exploration of memory, trauma, and survival. Reading it, I felt the weight of history pressed against the present, where love becomes both burden and salvation. Morrison’s words remind me that healing requires confronting the ghosts we carry and daring to reclaim freedom.”
Chronicling the life and transformation of the civil rights leader, this work has faced challenges due to its discussions on race, religion, and politics
This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, depicting the lives of African American women in the early 20th century, has been banned for its explicit content and themes of abuse
Addressing police brutality and systemic racism through the eyes of a Black teenager, this novel has faced bans due to its language and depiction of drug use
“James Baldwin’s Go Tell It on the Mountain reflects the struggle of faith, family, and identity. His portrayal of generational pain and spiritual searching resonates deeply with me. It reminds me that healing requires confronting both the weight of history and the power of forgiveness, while still claiming my own truth.”
An autobiographical account that addresses racism, identity, and personal resilience, this book has been challenged for its candid portrayal of sexual abuse and racism.
“Richard Wright’s Native Son is a haunting exploration of race, poverty, and fear in America. Bigger Thomas’s tragedy reveals how systemic oppression can shape choices and destroy potential. Reading it forces me to confront uncomfortable truths, reminding me that justice and compassion are necessary to break cycles of despair.”
“Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God speaks to the beauty of self-discovery and the courage to seek love on one’s own terms. Janie’s journey reminds me that true freedom comes when we honor our voice and desires, even when the world resists. Her strength inspires my own becoming.”