Unafraid of the Dark: A Memoir

by Rosemary L. Bray

In her deeply affecting, vividly written memoir, Rosemary L. Bray describes with remarkable frankness growing up poor in Chicago in the 1960s, and her childhood shaped by welfare, the Roman Catholic Church, and the civil rights movement.

Bray writes poignantly of her lasting dread of the cold and the dark that characterized her years of poverty; of her mother's extraordinary strength and resourcefulness; and of the system that miraculously enabled her mother to scrape together enough to keep the children fed and clothed. Bray's parents, held together by their ambitions for their children and painfully divided by their poverty, punctuate young Rosemary's nights with their violent fights and define her days with their struggles.

This powerful, ultimately inspiring book is a moving testimony of the history Bray overcame, and the racial obstacles she continues to see in her children's way.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Biography Memoir

305 pages, Paperback

First published February 10, 1998

Reviews

[Tanya Sopkin]

I've read a lot of memoirs lately, anything from powerful civil rights leaders like Assata Shakur to biographies of authors like "The Glass Castle", but "Unafraid of the Dark" has been one of my favorite. She covers issues such as racism, sexism, and abuse in her life so well, that I couldn't stop reading. This was an amazing memoir.

[Dana Nucera]

Excellent book. I always admire anyone that can write a good book. I am even more in awe of someone that can tell the story of their life, and tell it well. This book is concise, fluid, insightful, enlightening, genuine and just a good read. The author does a great job of making you feel like you have been given an inside peek at what it must be like to live a different kind of life.

[Elyssa]

This memoir about growing up in the welfare system is powerful, especially since the author clearly benefitted from the early intervention and went on the have a successful career and family of her own.

[Cort]

A very worthwhile and relevant read even 19 years after its publication. This memoir keeps you turning the pages.

[Liz]

This was a wonderful book. The author writes in a beautiful, heartfelt way. I found it impossible to put down. The gratitude for her Catholic education was refreshing. Although she did not remain with that faith, her explanation was honest and understandable. Her relationships with the teachers who encouraged her along the way bring you to tears. The way she explained how she came to terms with both her mother’s decisions and her father’s treatment of the family, is probably some of the best I’ve read by a person who has had a challenging childhood. It helped me gain insight into my own life and experiences, which is something a quality memoir should do. I closed the book wishing I could meet the author. My first car was a Ford Torino as well! I could not find much information on line about her or where she is now.

[Alison.A.Bellbtinternet.Com]

Excellent gem found in a charity shop. Memoir of great tenderness, poverty, anger and the strength of a strong Mother and daughter. Shows the disgraceful of life in the 60s for African American women and how recently that has been a backwards step to entrench people into poverty with no escape or future. A must read.

[Rhonda Apsley]

Interesting and well written memoir about growing up in Chicago on welfare and with a volatile father. She goes on to graduate from Yale and become a professional writer. Her story is an interesting perspective on being poor and our welfare system specifically.

[Penny]

A wonderful memoir of her early years living in poverty with a very abusive father. She makes it out by way of a teacher who gets her into a private high school from whence she attends Yale. Very insightful about racism in general. Wonderful writing

[Kathy Krieg]

Good story, The message at the end of was the most important if you believe in social justice.

[Ellen]

A well written book about growing up in a poor family with an abusive father. However, Bray didn't dwell on the abuse and kept the narration going forward.

[Sherie]

A very emotional book for me. I admire the author.

[A Maughanster]

An account of one woman's experience growing up in Chicago as a child on welfare and how she battled racism and sexism to raise herself up through education to change what the world will look like for others including her own children.

[Jenifer Lockwood]

I would give it a higher rating if I could.

[Janice]

I read this book as recommended reading from the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) . The UUA is on year 2 of a 4 year symposium addressing the problem of escalating inequality in our country. The book is fascinating. The author was one of the first African-American women admitted into Yale. The story of her childhood will have you wondering how on earth she accomplished this. (Poverty, abuse, being black & female) She then goes on to a professional career, many jobs being the first AA Woman. She wrote this book in the 90's because of the welfare "reforms" that were being adopted by our politicians at the time. In many ways she feels that had these new laws been in place when she was a child, she never would of ended up with the life she has. 17 years later, it's obvious that these are failed policies....we are worse off today (in my opinion), then ever. Growing inequality is only enhanced by less economic & educational opportunities. Ms. Bray is an inspiration of determination.

[Angel]

Rosemary L. Bray’s Unafraid of the Dark is the story of a young Black girl growing up in Chicago during the Civil Rights era. Despite dealing with abuse, poverty and racism, Bray’s mother relies on her resourcefulness, as well as the welfare system, to provide for her family. From Bray’s childhood growing up in public housing in Chicago during the 1960s to her education at Yale, where she became a strong feminist activist during the 1970s, the reader is immersed in worlds that evoke very specific places and eras. Both a powerful confrontation of misconceptions of welfare recipients as well as a story of a woman who overcame all obstacles, Unafraid of the Dark is both powerful and relevant.

[Torimac]

Though I'm white and the exact dysfunctions in my family varied a little from hers, I related to so many of the family dynamics of her childhood and often felt like she was telling my story. Poverty, the catholic church, the disappointing father, the outside view of how her mother coped, the epic changes of the 60s, the struggle to find her own voice and to protect it from the repression of growing up under all these layers.
It's been a few years since I read it but it's stayed close to my heart and I hope to re-read it again.

[Arielle]

2015 Reading Challenge - A memoir.

A compelling story in which the author links her own life's story into the current political climate of poor shaming and the evisceration of the social safety net. This book was published in the late 1990s and it is quite disheartening when you realize things have only gotten more austere and rigid when it comes to social services and helping children, the poor and vulnerable of our society. I would be interested to read her reflections on the last 20 years since this book was written.

[Shakira]

This book is so good. i reccomend anyone to read it. It tells the story of a girl growing up on Chicago's Southside during the 1960's. Her mother is on welfare and it tears her family apart. it tells about all of her struggles and triumphs and the chronicles of life.

[Mary]

I've been trying to read more African-American authors, in part to get over my negative perception of what I see here. This book is a reminder of why I believe assistance to the needy is necessary and important.

[Lorie]

I read this after reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Smith) and Graced Land (Kalpakian). The three work as companion reads. Poor women raising families in different cities and eras, and facing their challenges in unique, yet similar ways. Courgeous, determined women all. Recommend all three.

[Katherine]

Highly recommended--this would be a good one for the Chicago-centric Gapers Block Book Club!

[Leslie]

bray's voice is so strong; i don't forget it.

[Kimberly]

The author of this book is the minister at my church, Fourth Universalist Society. Her memoir is beautiful and I felt much more connected to her after I read it.

[Sarah]

I'm rereading this memoir - the story of a young African American girl growing up in the welfare system of the 1960s.

[Ann]

brave woman. Great and inspirational read.

[Jackie]

I just didn't like it. I only read the first three pages though.