Crushing Soft Rubies: A Memoir

by Janet Stickmon

Crushing Soft Rubies is the place where spirit, culture, and survival meet. It is the story of a Filipino-African-American who is caught between the death of her parents and the desperate need to define herself--not as an orphan, but as a strong woman who is willing to do whatever is necessary to ensure that her past does not become a barrier to her future. Janet, now a teacher and a married woman, leads us through the intense details of her story. From her childhood home being burned to the ground, to the joys and conflicts with her Filipino family, to seeking a connection to her African-American heritage, and then to the beautiful moment of her marriage, Janet navigates the rough waters of love, spirit, identity , and survival, maintaining a life filled with faith and wonder.

242 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 31, 2003

Reviews

[Loretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deep and thought-provoking memoir written by a beautiful woman.

[Edgar-Arturo Camacho-González · Rating 5 out of 5]

I beautiful reminder of resilience and strength from the experience/lens of a strong and beautiful womyn.

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, Janet experienced such tragedy and hardship at such young ages that I couldn't imagine how I would have reacted if they'd happened to me. This memoir was published almost 20 years ago, but it still resonates. Amidst the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate movements, her reflections of finding her own identity as a half Black/half Filipina child of elder parents was heartbreaking yet hopeful. I appreciated her vulnerability and identified with her insecurities. Even though she's about my oldest brother's age, her reminiscences of her childhood and college years are very familiar, especially her experiences in Southern California and the Bay Area. Overall an important story in the Fil-Am diaspora.

[Madge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read like a textbook. Skimmed last third. Interesting life but somewhat boring read.