Marita Golden Books

Exploring the myth of the "strong black woman," this book delves into the societal pressures that demand resilience while denying vulnerability. It examines the profound physical and mental health consequences of navigating a culture that stigmatizes weakness, shedding light on the struggles faced by many. Through insightful analysis, it challenges stereotypes and advocates for a more nuanced understanding of strength and well-being within the black female experience.

The book features a prologue that sets the stage for the narrative, introducing key themes and context that will unfold throughout the story. It offers insights into the characters' motivations and the challenges they will face, creating anticipation for the events to come. The prologue serves as a crucial entry point for readers, establishing the tone and atmosphere that will permeate the subsequent chapters.

Exploring the experiences of young Black males, Golden shares insightful conversations with psychologists, writers, and the boys themselves. Against a backdrop of systemic racism and economic disparity, she narrates her son's journey while addressing the violence faced by Black teen boys. The book serves as both a witness and testimony to the current crisis affecting Black Americans, prompting a reevaluation of the civil rights legacy and its impact on today's challenges.

Focusing on mental and physical well-being, this guide empowers women to discover their identities, establish healthy boundaries, and engage in fitness practices that enhance their daily lives. Through insights from Marita Golden, a notable figure featured on Oprah Winfrey, readers are encouraged to prioritize their health and find balance in their routines.

Marita Golden began her writing career with Migrations of the Heart, a memoir about living with her husband in his native Nigeria. In Migrations, Golden described how it was only with the birth of her child--a son--that she was truly respected, for in that culture males are held in the highest esteem. Ten years later, in "Saving Our Sons," Golden presents, in essence, her son's story. Having returned to the United States from Nigeria, Marita and Michael, in his teens, find their lives haunted by evidence of a horrifying statistic: The leading cause of death among black males under the age of twenty-one is homicide. The boy who was once surrounded by a warm, loving African family is now looked upon with scorn by many whites and with a deep, aching fear by his fellow African-Americans that his life may be casually taken. Through the story of raising her son against the backdrop of a racially divided society, Golden confronts the causes of the violence that surrounds African-American men and reassesses the legacy of her own generation's struggle for civil rights. She talks to psychologists, writers, and young black men--criminals and scholars both--and explores how single black mothers are often blamed for troubled youth. In this fiercely lyrical and revealing narrative, Golden has created a work of profound and lasting importance: a book that sensitively and uniquely addresses the problems of boyhood and emerging manhood. This is a book in which mothers across the country will see themselves and their sons

" A novel of impressive artistry and power." The Washington PostCaught in the web of history, generations of an African-American family play out their parts on a world stage that constantly changes, protected always by the love of one another, which never will.