If You Walked In My Shoes

by Gwynne Forster

The national bestselling author of Blues from Down Deep and When Twilight Comes delivers a moving and powerful story, one that Robert Fleming says is "the one we've been waiting for...her best work to date." At age seventeen, Coreen Holmes was an honor student and the recipient of a full college scholarship when she became victim of a vicious date rape. Fearing her father's wrath, Coreen is sent to a relative's house--with her mother's consent--until she's able to delivery the baby. A cruel woman, Coreen's aunt emotionally and physically abuses her; relieved when the baby is born so she can finally leave her aunt's home, Coreen gives the baby up for adoption and in her haste, knows nothing about the child--even its own gender. Thirty years later, as an adult, Coreen Holmes Treadwll is married and the mother to two stepsons; now head of a social welfare agency and an expert on the welfare of women and girls, she is distressed at the prospect of appearing a friendly witness before a senate investigating committee. Fearful that her past will be exposed--something her family knows nothing about--Coreen must deal with her past head on, before it's too late.

Genres: Romance, African American Romance

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 2004

About the author

Gwynne Forster (1922-2015) was the pseudonym of American novelist, short fiction writer, demographer, and sociologist Gwendolyn Johnson-Acsadi. Forster was best known as an early innovator of the African American Romance fiction tradition. Forster was a prolific writer who authored more than 50 books, as well as multiple studies in the field of demography. Forster won a wide readership with her novels and garnered awards, including the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award and the Black Writers Alliance Gold Pen Award.

Reviews

[Aone · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I finally finished this book, after putting it back on my shelf for a long time. It was very slow read for me and rather boring, however I really did want to finish it. I was expecting a little more of a show from Freida as she revealed her indentity to her birth mother. She did all of that plotting and planning, for nothing. Bates kind of came off like a jerk sometimes with his smart remarks and comments towards his wife. This book had a lot more potential, but it just didn't do it for me. I have two other books by her to read, so maybe they will be better.

[Daisy Daisy Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end. Would love to see it on the big screen. Such a relevant book, and the author reaches really deep into such a complex and heart wrenching subject. A must read.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was attracted to the book, because Corrine was a social worker, who had been raped as a teenager, and gave her baby up for adoption. I am a former social worker. Corrine had her baby in her mean aunts house. She never saw the baby, and left the house after the birth. There is no explanation of her giving consent for an adoption, or how the baby was given to the adoptive family. Freda searched for her birth mother by paying $50.00 to someone for getting her the 1960 and 1970 U. S, census records. Those records are not yet available, so I don't know how someone could get them for her. I was disappointed that there wasn't more time given to a resolution between the birth mother and Freda.
There was a lot of hatred shown by Freda towards her birth mother for placing her with a sexually abusive father.

[Amari Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Corren Tredwell was raped and became pregnant in high school, she didn't have a big support system and gave the baby up for adoption, moved from her hometown and became a successful business woman. Corren is scared that her past will come back to hunt her after she's been married for years now to a man name Bates, who loves her and support her every move, and is the mother to his children from his past marriage,but she stills hold the secret of having a child out in the world somewhere. Meanwhile, Corren doesn't know, her child, Freida is out for revenge after her foster father raped her and she believe it is all Corren fault for putting her up as a foster child. Once Freida finds her mother it brings out the worst in both women, almost breaking the family apart.

[Christian Singer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you wasted your life in fear or plotting revenge? If You Walked in My Shoes gives readers a good look at the complexity of emotions and how what we plot doesn't usually turn out how we envisioned.

[Nicole Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book but Corrine got on my nerves! She did nothing wrong so I couldn't figure out what she was afraid of. I do understand why she didn't tell her husband he was an ass. It took so long to get to the point.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book.

[Cathay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice work on dealing with the complexities of family, career, and being a wife. The added depth of adoption, abusive fathers and rape issues that affect all relationships is well-portrayed.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

quick reading.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review on my blog.

[Corine Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book; the characters were realatable.

[Lona Palmero · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was rather disappointed in Ms. Forster's "If You Walked In My Shoes". The main character, Corrine really got on my last nerve after a while.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow getting to the point, mainly due to dragging out Coreen's need to hide the truth. I think it ended realistically, not over dramatic.

[Frances · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the story but I could have shaken these two ladies at times!