Name of Book: What Keeps Me Standing

Author: Dennis Kimbro

Publisher: Harlem Moon

Audience: Girls ages 10-19

Summary: Actual letters written from African American grandmothers on Survival, Love, Prayer, Hope, etc. It is book which reaps the richness and wisdom of a generation whose shoulders we stand on.  Many of the letters share a brief profile of their life. All of the letters share words of encouragement, motivation, inspiration, hope and day to day survival. The letters share emotions from grandmothers who survived on welfare to PHD scholars. The book gives the reader a glimpse into a part of history from some who have lived more than a century. African American grandmothers have been the backbone of their communities and their families. This book is their words to help guide another generation into the future.

Literary Elements at work in the story: This book entails a collection of written letters from African American grandmothers from around the country to their children and grandchildren on their perspective of living.

Genre:   Non-fiction

Tone: The tone is very personal and engaging. As you read each letter you feel that you know each of the grandmothers personally.

Themes: Encouraging words focusing on: Hope, Inspiration, Motivation, Survival, Death, Success, Hospitality, Faith and Prayer.

Perspective: This book is a wonderful, enriching guide for African American girls, teens and adult women. After reading this book, the reader should want to be a better person, and woman.

Theology: From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible speaks of generations and how each generation influenced another. We are taught that we are God’s children and how important we are to Him and how much God loves us individually and collectively. We are taught the power of God’s love and how it sustains, protects and guides us. The Bible speaks of the power of women and how they loved their husbands and family. The Bible also speaks of how women prayed for what they wanted. This book also captures women who are dependent on God for day by day guidance and survival. Thru good and bad times they looked to a higher source of power for strength and endurance.\

Review prepared by Vera Witherspoon, MDiv, Entering Cohort Fall 2005

What Keeps Me Standing by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.