The Girl in the Yellow Poncho
eBook - PDF

The Girl in the Yellow Poncho

A Memoir

  1. 232 pages
  2. English
  3. PDF
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

The Girl in the Yellow Poncho

A Memoir

About this book

At five years old, Kristal Brent Zook sat on the steps of a Venice Beach, California, motel trying to make sense of her white father's abandonment, which left her feeling unworthy of a man's love and of white protection. Raised by her working-class African American mother and grandmother, Zook was taught not to count on anyone, especially men. Men leave. Men disappoint. In adulthood she became a feminist, activist, and "race woman" journalist in New York City. Despite her professional success, something was missing. Coming to terms with her identity was a constant challenge.

The Girl in the Yellow Poncho is Zook's coming-of-age tale about what it means to be biracial in America. Throughout, she grapples with in-betweenness while also facing childhood sexual assault, economic insecurity, and multigenerational alcoholism and substance abuse on both the Black and white sides of her family. Her story is one of strong Black women—herself, her cousin, her mother, and her grandmother—and the generational cycles of oppression and survival that seemingly defined their lives.

Setting out on an inner journey that takes her across oceans and continents, Zook tells the story of a little girl who never gives up on love, even long after it seems to have been destroyed. In the end she triumphs, reconciling with her father and mother to create the family of her dreams through forgiveness and sheer force of will. A testament to the power of settling into one's authentic identity, this book tells a story of a daughter's lifelong yearning, a mother's rediscovery of lost love, and the profound power of atonement and faith to heal a broken family.

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Yes, you can access The Girl in the Yellow Poncho by Kristal Brent Zook in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Social Sciences & Social Science Biographies. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Contents
  3. Preface
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. 1. Kansas Avenue
  6. 2. Uncle Mervin
  7. 3. Noches
  8. 4. Laurel Canyon
  9. 5. Dra
  10. 6. Hollywood Boulevard
  11. 7. Rockin’ Out
  12. 8. College Bound
  13. 9. Activist
  14. 10. Light-Skinned
  15. 11. Taking a Chance
  16. 12. Dad
  17. 13. ABD
  18. 14. Detour
  19. 15. Writer
  20. 16. Pain
  21. Gallery
  22. 17. Australia
  23. 18. Hiding
  24. 19. An Adventure
  25. 20. Alfonso
  26. 21. A New Life
  27. 22. Multiracial
  28. 23. Forgiving
  29. 24. Memories
  30. 25. Vashon Island
  31. 26. Thanksgiving
  32. 27. Lisa
  33. 28. Rekindled
  34. 29. Rage
  35. 30. A Birthday
  36. 31. Mothers
  37. 32. Transformation