Just as I never read the children classic author, Ronald Dahl, I hadn’t gotten to Jacqueline Woodson. Until now!

Her memoir mixes prose and poetry as she chronicles her childhood in five parts: Part 1, i am born which covers her childhood in Ohio and her parents’ separation; Part 2, the stories of south carolina which is her time in South Carolina with her beloved grandparents as her mother adjusts to single life and finds work in New York as well as the civil rights movement shifting the position and opportunities for African-Americans; Part 3, followed the sky’s mirrored constellation to freedom where she tackles homesickness and adjustment to New York and her new brother while also discovering the power of words; Part 4, deep in my heart, i do believe continues her journey to writing and storytelling while dealing with grief and beginning to see the complexities of adulthood in the 70s; Finally Part 5, ready to change the world is just as it says as Jaqueline begins to dream for bigger boundaries and stories to write.

I can’t quite put into words how moving it is. It’s just genuine. Very thoughtful and honest as she describes the good memories of sitting at her grandmother’s lap as she brushed her hair and her sister told stories as well as the grief and confusion of moving to a new state and being made fun of, and family rifts. It foretells her interests in writing and its power to change a life. It also serves as a time capsule of the progress of civil rights and the pride Jacqueline gained as a black girl, believing she is equal to anyone not because of her skin but because she was a human being.

The book I read was given additional poignancy by including family photos and seven additional poems.

With her precise word choice that brilliantly conveys a soothing lilt to the history of one family that can resonate with everyone. I’ll leave it with this quote from her Author’s Note:

“I am often asked ifI had a hard life growing up. I think my life was very complicated and very rich. Looking back on it, I think my life was at once ordinary and amazing. I couldn’t imagine any other life. I know that I was lucky enough to be born during a time when the world was changing like crazy-and that I was part of that change. I know that I was and continue to be loved. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

“Ordinary yet extraordinary” is the perfect way to describe Woodson’s writing.