A Parallel Life

by Bonnie Greer

The long-awaited first volume of Bonnie Greer’s memoirs

Award-winning playwright, author and critic Bonnie Greer opens her heart and her history in this beautiful, emotive and honest biography. From her early years in segregated, racist Chicago to the months in New York City that would lead to her first steps on British soil, Bonnie’s story is not only compelling and eye-opening, but an exquisite testament to one woman’s strength, determination and pride.

Standing on the corner of Michigan Avenue, in the middle of the biggest blizzard of the decade and at the height of the rush hour, I yelled into the driving snow and howling Arctic wind: OK! After playing the role of good daughter, great sister, best friend, girlfriend in the background, and black student warrior, what else? Because there is something else. And there always was something else. Now, Miss Greer, you must finally face it – ’cause you have run out of road. The curtain is about to come down. They’re packin’ up and goin’ home, baby! It was time to leave. Time to leave Chicago – and my family and friends. Time to leave everything and finally go to meet that parallel life – the one that lived inside of me ever since I was a very little girl.

Bonnie Greer’s touching, funny and thought-provoking memoir is a voyage into the making of a woman who set out to unmake what she’d been born and brought up to be: ‘A proper girl’ – a precious definition in a segregated and racist America where black life was deemed only three-fifths of white life … and the life of a black woman even less.

This is the first volume of a compelling memoir that will not just enlighten, engage and enthrall, but move you to tears with every turn of the page.

Courage, defiance and, ultimately, hope define the story of a life – indeed, a parallel life – that just had to be lived.

428 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 15, 2014

About the author

Bonnie Greer is an American-British playwright, novelist and critic. She is also the Chancellor of Kingston University, a university located in Kingston upon Thames, London.

Reviews

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this - so much culture and context is woven into the writing - so many events I remembered, music that I loved. My son told me about Bonnie Greer - somehow I hadn’t heard of her before.