Mary Helen Washington Knihy

This book combines in one volume two now classic short story collections. The editor has added a new introduction and prefatory material."Mary Helen Washington has had a greater impact upon the formation of the canon of Afro-American literature than has any other scholar." --The New York Times Book Review

A short story collection focused on "the black woman as seen from the special angle of the black woman writer." "Mary Helen Washington has had a greater impact upon the formation of the canon of Afro-American literature than has any other scholar." —The New York Times Book Review

Set against the backdrop of the Depression and World War II in Brooklyn, the story follows Selina Boyce, a young woman navigating her identity amid her immigrant family's contrasting aspirations. Her mother is determined to secure a better future through education and homeownership, while her father yearns for their homeland in Barbados. As Selina confronts the challenges of racism and poverty, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, making this a poignant coming-of-age narrative and a compelling depiction of the quest for the American Dream.

"Belongs in the category ... of enduring American literature." -- Saturday Review Fair and long-legged, independent and articulate, Janie Crawford sets out to be her own person -- no mean feat for a black woman in the '30s. Janie's quest for identity takes her through three marriages and into a journey back to her roots.