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Secret Daughter: A Mixed-Race Daughter and the Mother Who Gave Her Away
A powerful memoir about the complicated but ultimately loving relationship between a black daughter and her white mother.
Secret Daughter is a deftly drawn and moving portrait of a childhood spent in two very different worlds: one white, one black. In 1957, when June Cross was four years old, she was sent by her white mother to live with a black family in Atlantic City. Her mother, Norma, had left June’s abusive father, a comic in the well-known black vaudeville duo Stump and Stumpy, and gave June up when it became clear that her dark-skinned, kinky-haired child could no longer "pass." Within her adopted family, June struggled with her identity as the black radicalism of the times collided head on with her family’s more traditional ideals. Summer vacations were spent with her mother, now in Hollywood and married to F Troop TV actor Larry Storch. For many years, Norma, afraid that Larry’s career would suffer if anyone discovered the truth about her illegitimate daughter, told friends and reporters that June was adopted.
Secret Daughter, which grew out of Cross’s Emmy Award–winning documentary, traces this thorny story with poignancy and skill. It is both a vivid snapshot of race relations in America and an inspiring journey of understanding between a mother and daughter.
Secret Daughter is a deftly drawn and moving portrait of a childhood spent in two very different worlds: one white, one black. In 1957, when June Cross was four years old, she was sent by her white mother to live with a black family in Atlantic City. Her mother, Norma, had left June’s abusive father, a comic in the well-known black vaudeville duo Stump and Stumpy, and gave June up when it became clear that her dark-skinned, kinky-haired child could no longer "pass." Within her adopted family, June struggled with her identity as the black radicalism of the times collided head on with her family’s more traditional ideals. Summer vacations were spent with her mother, now in Hollywood and married to F Troop TV actor Larry Storch. For many years, Norma, afraid that Larry’s career would suffer if anyone discovered the truth about her illegitimate daughter, told friends and reporters that June was adopted.
Secret Daughter, which grew out of Cross’s Emmy Award–winning documentary, traces this thorny story with poignancy and skill. It is both a vivid snapshot of race relations in America and an inspiring journey of understanding between a mother and daughter.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
December 8, 2011
It's hard for me to articulate how I feel about this book. I've always been fascinated by race, and though I am white (and therefore part of the "privileged" class), I have been discriminated against and bullied due to my Jewish maiden name. As a young child, I grew up in a predominately black neighborhood, and experienced the greatest feeling of acceptance I would have as a kid. Plus my brother is adopted, and of a completely different ethnicity, so it's something my family has always dealt with.
However, I felt this book fell flat a bit. Being raised by a black family, and looking more black than white, Cross seems to identify most with her black side, which makes sense. She is angry that she is hidden by her mother, shoved into various lies that she's her mother's adopted child, or niece, or friend, or whatever is convenient for her at the time. However, she denies her mother as well, refusing to admit that her mother is white because she's afraid that won't make her black enough. What a hard line to have to walk throughout one's life!
My main objection to the book is I felt it dwelled a bit too much on Cross's personal achievements in journalism, and name-dropped a bit too much with all the celebrities she had met due to her mother's famous husband. I understand that her mother's celebrity lifestyle afforded her opportunities she would never have had otherwise, but I began this book without a clue who June Cross was. I had no idea that this wasn't an autobiography of just any biracial child, but a biracial child of two relatively famous people. I think I would have preferred a memoir by a person who was unknown, and who had to figure out who she was in every aspect of her life, without the eye of publicity staring at her. Then again, that's why her mother denied her for so long, since Cross's very ethnicity could ruin her stepfather's Hollywood career. Such a tangled web, and one that I think Cross managed to unravel to her advantage.
At any rate, this is a very interesting peek into what it was like to be black during the most tumultuous period of the 20th century. I hope that we are more progressive now; however, moving back to southern Virginia has taught me that unfortunately, that isn't so. Perhaps my children's generation can finally figure this whole race thing out.
However, I felt this book fell flat a bit. Being raised by a black family, and looking more black than white, Cross seems to identify most with her black side, which makes sense. She is angry that she is hidden by her mother, shoved into various lies that she's her mother's adopted child, or niece, or friend, or whatever is convenient for her at the time. However, she denies her mother as well, refusing to admit that her mother is white because she's afraid that won't make her black enough. What a hard line to have to walk throughout one's life!
My main objection to the book is I felt it dwelled a bit too much on Cross's personal achievements in journalism, and name-dropped a bit too much with all the celebrities she had met due to her mother's famous husband. I understand that her mother's celebrity lifestyle afforded her opportunities she would never have had otherwise, but I began this book without a clue who June Cross was. I had no idea that this wasn't an autobiography of just any biracial child, but a biracial child of two relatively famous people. I think I would have preferred a memoir by a person who was unknown, and who had to figure out who she was in every aspect of her life, without the eye of publicity staring at her. Then again, that's why her mother denied her for so long, since Cross's very ethnicity could ruin her stepfather's Hollywood career. Such a tangled web, and one that I think Cross managed to unravel to her advantage.
At any rate, this is a very interesting peek into what it was like to be black during the most tumultuous period of the 20th century. I hope that we are more progressive now; however, moving back to southern Virginia has taught me that unfortunately, that isn't so. Perhaps my children's generation can finally figure this whole race thing out.
December 15, 2009
I feel a real kinship with June! I was there! I can totally relate to this book! As a mulatto child growing up, my Polish mother decided to leave me in Detroit with my Black father as she went off to Vegas with some new dude! WTH?!? So I grew up identifying as Black, not mixed, bi-racial or mulatto, even though I was often mistaken for being a Latina with my semi-straight/slightly wavy hair. I am just now, as an adult, recognizing my Polish ancestry. Partly because of my children. With my mother having been born in Poland, there is a wealth of information that my children have gotten from my grandmother (their great-grandmother) about their ancestry. They think it's pretty cool that they look like they do and have mixed ancestry. My son Elijah especially, who is often mistaken for being of Ethiopian ancestry. He's beautiful with his chocolate complexion and dark eyes, lush eyelashes and shiny eyebrows.
July 15, 2009
First Sentence:
I search for my mother’s face in the mirror and see a stranger.
June Cross, the author, was born to a white mother and a black father. At a time when the color of your skin was decisive of the way you live your life and the privileges you were given, June Cross couldn’t decide what she was.
June’s mother Norma was an aspiring actress and a single woman when she gave birth to June. She kept June with her until she could pass as a white girl. But as she grew up her color started to darken and then she could no longer pass as exotic in her mother’s white world. To hide the fact that she had given birth to a child of a black man, Norma left her with Peggy, her black friend who lived in Atlanta and was pretty secure in her little world.
Peggy and her husband Paul had no child of their own so they kept June with them. Norma visited her or called her to visit New York according to her convenience. Her entire life June craved for her mother to accept her as her own instead of telling people she was her niece or her friend. She was shuttled in two different worlds, Norma’s free and open world in New York and Peggy small and conservative world in Atlanta.
For me, there was a major negative point for the first hundred pages of this book. When sentences like ‘When I was five’ start appearing on every alternate page, you tend to think how a girl so young could remember so much. That kind of spoiled the first 100 pages for me. I even considered not finishing it as I was so irritated by it. But that could just be my problem. Somewhere after the 100 pages, something changed. June grew up :) And no one could argue whether a teenage girl could remember things, right?
I’m so glad I did not keep this book aside. I really enjoyed the rest of the book. Norma, I think, was very selfish. Sorry for judging, but I just can’t help it. Whereas I could understand why she did what she did with June, her other children weren’t quite kept close either. She gave her first girl for adoption and sent her second son to boarding school. All she could think of was how they could affect her career or Larry’s, whom she married later.
This book really gave me an insight into how the lives of black and white American people were affected because of the Civil Rights movement in the 1950’s. For example, when the US government gave orders to integrate the schools. Also the rule that no colored man could play himself in a movie or a theatre production. That rule changed and it affected Larry, Norma’s husband who made a living by playing people from different backgrounds. This book gave two different perspectives, the back and the white which was very intriguing to read.
The author was pretty honest about her feelings and I can only imagine how much pain she would have gone through remembering and writing this book.
The more I think or write about this book, the more I want to increase the rating, so I’ll stop here. Definitely recommended if you like memoirs, or want to learn more about the Civil Rights movement without stressing your brain too much and without getting into too many details. The story of June Cross is worth reading, if only to learn how a black woman has managed to give voice to thousands of stories similar to her own and highlight the struggles bi-racial children went through.
June Cross produced a documentary called Secret Daughter which won an Emmy Award in 1997. The documentary was an inspiration to write the book.
First posted at http://violetcrush.wordpress.com/2009...
I search for my mother’s face in the mirror and see a stranger.
June Cross, the author, was born to a white mother and a black father. At a time when the color of your skin was decisive of the way you live your life and the privileges you were given, June Cross couldn’t decide what she was.
June’s mother Norma was an aspiring actress and a single woman when she gave birth to June. She kept June with her until she could pass as a white girl. But as she grew up her color started to darken and then she could no longer pass as exotic in her mother’s white world. To hide the fact that she had given birth to a child of a black man, Norma left her with Peggy, her black friend who lived in Atlanta and was pretty secure in her little world.
Peggy and her husband Paul had no child of their own so they kept June with them. Norma visited her or called her to visit New York according to her convenience. Her entire life June craved for her mother to accept her as her own instead of telling people she was her niece or her friend. She was shuttled in two different worlds, Norma’s free and open world in New York and Peggy small and conservative world in Atlanta.
For me, there was a major negative point for the first hundred pages of this book. When sentences like ‘When I was five’ start appearing on every alternate page, you tend to think how a girl so young could remember so much. That kind of spoiled the first 100 pages for me. I even considered not finishing it as I was so irritated by it. But that could just be my problem. Somewhere after the 100 pages, something changed. June grew up :) And no one could argue whether a teenage girl could remember things, right?
I’m so glad I did not keep this book aside. I really enjoyed the rest of the book. Norma, I think, was very selfish. Sorry for judging, but I just can’t help it. Whereas I could understand why she did what she did with June, her other children weren’t quite kept close either. She gave her first girl for adoption and sent her second son to boarding school. All she could think of was how they could affect her career or Larry’s, whom she married later.
This book really gave me an insight into how the lives of black and white American people were affected because of the Civil Rights movement in the 1950’s. For example, when the US government gave orders to integrate the schools. Also the rule that no colored man could play himself in a movie or a theatre production. That rule changed and it affected Larry, Norma’s husband who made a living by playing people from different backgrounds. This book gave two different perspectives, the back and the white which was very intriguing to read.
The author was pretty honest about her feelings and I can only imagine how much pain she would have gone through remembering and writing this book.
The more I think or write about this book, the more I want to increase the rating, so I’ll stop here. Definitely recommended if you like memoirs, or want to learn more about the Civil Rights movement without stressing your brain too much and without getting into too many details. The story of June Cross is worth reading, if only to learn how a black woman has managed to give voice to thousands of stories similar to her own and highlight the struggles bi-racial children went through.
June Cross produced a documentary called Secret Daughter which won an Emmy Award in 1997. The documentary was an inspiration to write the book.
First posted at http://violetcrush.wordpress.com/2009...
September 15, 2020
Did author June Cross' mother do what was best for her by giving her up? That question went through my mind the entire time I was reading this excellent memoir. By the end, I did think it was best that Ms. Cross was raised by black parents, who were friends of her mother, because that gave her an unshakable black identity, which served her well throughout her life. At least she knew she was black and was accepted by the black community. She was part of it, not an outcast. She was not always on the wall trying to decide which side she belonged on, and always fearing she belonged on neither side.
Was her mother being wise and loving in her decision? Maybe some, but not totally. The fact she only took care of each of her three children for a short time during their childhoods; as well as the fact she claimed it was "bad karma" that forced her to give them all up; was a dead giveaway she wasn't that into day-to-day child care. Her husband actor Larry Storch obviously had no interest in that, either. He was the "baby" in the family, as far as he and his wife were concerned. Visits always went well, and financial support was provided, but day-to-day living together was obviously out of the question.
Decide for yourself, though, if you read this book. There are many interesting topics in it to explore, too--growing up during a time when blacks were considered inferior by many; the '50s-'60s Civil Rights Movement; the Black Panthers; being a minority at Harvard, both as a woman and as a black person; becoming a well-respected journalist; doing an award winning documentary with her mother that dealt with being a biracial child, etc. The most interesting thing to me, though, was how June Cross felt about being kept a "secret", in one way or another as a child, strictly due to her skin color and hair.
P.S. The PBS Frontline documentary Jane Cross did with her mother Norma was entitled Secret Daughter (1996). I can't find it anywhere online to stream or to rent on DVD. (:
Was her mother being wise and loving in her decision? Maybe some, but not totally. The fact she only took care of each of her three children for a short time during their childhoods; as well as the fact she claimed it was "bad karma" that forced her to give them all up; was a dead giveaway she wasn't that into day-to-day child care. Her husband actor Larry Storch obviously had no interest in that, either. He was the "baby" in the family, as far as he and his wife were concerned. Visits always went well, and financial support was provided, but day-to-day living together was obviously out of the question.
Decide for yourself, though, if you read this book. There are many interesting topics in it to explore, too--growing up during a time when blacks were considered inferior by many; the '50s-'60s Civil Rights Movement; the Black Panthers; being a minority at Harvard, both as a woman and as a black person; becoming a well-respected journalist; doing an award winning documentary with her mother that dealt with being a biracial child, etc. The most interesting thing to me, though, was how June Cross felt about being kept a "secret", in one way or another as a child, strictly due to her skin color and hair.
P.S. The PBS Frontline documentary Jane Cross did with her mother Norma was entitled Secret Daughter (1996). I can't find it anywhere online to stream or to rent on DVD. (:
September 23, 2008
I had higher expectations for this book based on the liner notes I had read about it. It was an interesting read. Rather intriguing in the beginning as the pictures of the various individuals in Cross' life were painted. However, in the end I was not as captured as I was in the beginning. I felt like she was droning on and on about things she had already identified earlier in the book. I do think it was a very difficult life and story, but I think the story telling in the end was not nearly as vivid as in the beginning. I do think it is a good read for people who are interested in genuinely understanding some of the complexities faces by bi-racial children particularly in the earlier days post Civil Rights when it was a newer phenomenon. I wouldn't say this is a must-read book, but the story is certainly interesting and makes you wonder why people make the choices they do in life.
September 19, 2008
I liked this book in the beginning, but I got bored with it when she went off to college. It didn't keep my interest. I found the premise fascinating and it is a memoir, so the story is real. However, the pictures ruined it for me, because they gave much of the story away. I don't know why but I stopped reading it 1/2 way through which is unlike me. But I wasn't looking forward to going back to it.
June 20, 2013
Black, white, brown and yellow colored skin should not matter. Everyone has a heart and deserves to be treated with respect and love.
June Cross was only four years old when her mother sent her to live with a black couple, Paul and Peggy, in Atlantic City. June's mother, Norma, was white, and June was the product of her mother's short fling with Jimmy Cross. When Jimmy found out Norma was pregnant, he left her. He had no desire to be married or raise a family. Norma was still involved in show business, and felt that having a little mixed-raced girl would prohibit her rise to fame, herself or her boyfriends. So she left her in Atlanta, and June traveled back and forth from New York City to Atlanta to visit.
It was a tough time for June. While in New York with her mom, she could pretty much do whatever she wanted, just as long as she never called Norma mommy while she entertained. June had to call her Aunt Norma, because Norma did not want it known she had an illegitimate mixed-raced daughter. When she was in Atlantic City, she was to be a well-behaved young lady who did as she was told. It was very confusing to June. She wasn't light enough to pass, but she was too dark for her mother to have kept. Harsh words for a mother to say to a young child.
As time passes, it comes to light that Norma had two white children before June, that she also neglected. It's understandable why Norma sent June to Atlantic City to be raised by darker folks, since at that time, the attitudes towards inter-racial relationships created a stigma over your head. However, because of those events, June became a very insecure young woman who had no idea who she was. White? Black? Living in both worlds confused her until she found the strength to become who she is today.
This is a very powerful and poignant novel. It's about mothers and daughters and what can drive them apart, or bring them together. It's about the Civil Rights Movement, and a glimpse of old Hollywood. But mainly, its about June and what she had to endure to get to where she is today, an Emmy award winning Journalist, producer, and author. It will make you cry, sympathize, and angry. The moment I opened this novel, I was drawn deep into June's words and her world. I've read this has been made into a PBS Movie, but I've not seen it. If you love memoirs, pick this one up today. You won't be disappointed!
June Cross was only four years old when her mother sent her to live with a black couple, Paul and Peggy, in Atlantic City. June's mother, Norma, was white, and June was the product of her mother's short fling with Jimmy Cross. When Jimmy found out Norma was pregnant, he left her. He had no desire to be married or raise a family. Norma was still involved in show business, and felt that having a little mixed-raced girl would prohibit her rise to fame, herself or her boyfriends. So she left her in Atlanta, and June traveled back and forth from New York City to Atlanta to visit.
It was a tough time for June. While in New York with her mom, she could pretty much do whatever she wanted, just as long as she never called Norma mommy while she entertained. June had to call her Aunt Norma, because Norma did not want it known she had an illegitimate mixed-raced daughter. When she was in Atlantic City, she was to be a well-behaved young lady who did as she was told. It was very confusing to June. She wasn't light enough to pass, but she was too dark for her mother to have kept. Harsh words for a mother to say to a young child.
As time passes, it comes to light that Norma had two white children before June, that she also neglected. It's understandable why Norma sent June to Atlantic City to be raised by darker folks, since at that time, the attitudes towards inter-racial relationships created a stigma over your head. However, because of those events, June became a very insecure young woman who had no idea who she was. White? Black? Living in both worlds confused her until she found the strength to become who she is today.
This is a very powerful and poignant novel. It's about mothers and daughters and what can drive them apart, or bring them together. It's about the Civil Rights Movement, and a glimpse of old Hollywood. But mainly, its about June and what she had to endure to get to where she is today, an Emmy award winning Journalist, producer, and author. It will make you cry, sympathize, and angry. The moment I opened this novel, I was drawn deep into June's words and her world. I've read this has been made into a PBS Movie, but I've not seen it. If you love memoirs, pick this one up today. You won't be disappointed!
March 19, 2008
It is so honest and personal an account of a life lived in two places, one black and one white and the inner struggles and outer slights that resulted from this displacement. It is also a love story of a white mother who couldn't keep her bi-racial daughter, didn't always understand the shoes that she walked in, but loved her the best way she knew how from afar. The author writes from such a deep place that anyone can identify with her, no matter what their background. The writing is moving, wonderful and well crafted, often poignant and gut wrenching. It is also a success story of someone putting back the pieces of a fragmented life torn with racial dissent and misunderstanding. But it will help you understand your world better and hers as well, so that it becomes one world- not hers, not yours, but all of ours. It is not filled with self pity, does not lecture, has wonderful show business and socially significant insights and will make you laugh cry and think.
June 19, 2007
This was a really interesting memoir. I learned a lot about the Civil Rights movement from the black perspective, which, honestly, was something I haven't ever really considered. It didn't come across as a "racial" book, though, which I thought was a pretty impressive feat. Race was certainly a strong presence, but it didn't overpower the story.
I had a hard time getting into the story, and thought I would put it down for good at a couple points. However, I plugged through, and I was definitely rewarded. The ending totally redeemed the entire book -- excellent ending.
It was good. I don't think I'd really recommend it or read it again, but it was satisfying to read once.
I had a hard time getting into the story, and thought I would put it down for good at a couple points. However, I plugged through, and I was definitely rewarded. The ending totally redeemed the entire book -- excellent ending.
It was good. I don't think I'd really recommend it or read it again, but it was satisfying to read once.
September 20, 2017
A sad autobiography of a mixed race girl
Her Aunt Peggy was my third grade and one of my favorite route tea hers. I also attended the same church as they did. I remember when June came to light e with her aunt. I always felt her mother was selfish and had some prejudice against Black people. Her desire to live the life of a wealthy white woman unencumbered by the responsibility of her children was sad and affected the self-esteem of all her children. She never accepted any responsibility for abandoning her children. June's mixed heritage aS just another excuse to justify her selfishness .
Her Aunt Peggy was my third grade and one of my favorite route tea hers. I also attended the same church as they did. I remember when June came to light e with her aunt. I always felt her mother was selfish and had some prejudice against Black people. Her desire to live the life of a wealthy white woman unencumbered by the responsibility of her children was sad and affected the self-esteem of all her children. She never accepted any responsibility for abandoning her children. June's mixed heritage aS just another excuse to justify her selfishness .
April 19, 2013
A very interesting memoir of a biracial child(caucasian and african-american). She was raised by a loving family friend and her husband. Her mother had 3 children and actually did the same thing with all 3 children. I cannot imagine how confusing it must have been for June as a little girl, as she would often visit her mother on the weekends. I enjoyed the book and would love to hunt down and watch the documentary now.
July 18, 2022
This is one of the best autobiographies I’ve read. June Cross’s journalistic style helps the reader navigate the complicated relationship she has with her mother and how that relationship evolved during a time that I grew up in as well. Her story is bold and honest. It also shows the power of forgiveness and family. I highly recommend this book.
September 4, 2015
Fantastic characters in this book. You have great anger with different people throughout the book but by the end I had nothing but compassion for each individual.
January 15, 2017
I inhaled this book;this biography of not one life but several,it touched me in so my ways. The writing and story are powerful. And I want to thank the the author for sharing her life's story.
June 10, 2008
I loved this book-- Let me start off by saying that I never even heard of June Cross (noted journalist). Again, this was one of those books just happened to come across while searching for a different book. I read some reviews on Amazon and promptly placed book on hold at library. And I'm glad I did. I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir and became emotionally involved with each person to come into June's life. I struggled throughout the narrative to withhold judgement of June's biological mother, Norma. I felt an extreme disdain for her lack of character and responsbility, as a woman, and as a parent. She is possibly one of the most selfish women I've ever encountered (albeit no personally). Regardless of race and her "inability to raise" or her lack of want to raise a mixed race child who could not "pass" in the 50's & 60's, she still failed to take care of her older white children, her son Lary from a previous relationship (who grew up mostly with his maternal grandmother and in foster care)and her daughter Candy from with actor Larry Storch whom she later married (who she gave up for adoption). The matter in which she treated all three of her children sickened me and I especially felt sad for June who Norma constantly created stories about her parentage ( " Oh, June is our adopted black daughter", " She's a friend of the family" to appease her rich white socalite friends. She could not even claim her child she was so embarrased and ashamed until 1996 when June practically begged her to participate in her documentary of her life for the Frontline news program entitled," Secret Daughter" concidentially which is also the title of this book ( of course I now want to see this documentary). June spent her life searching for love & acceptance, sense of belonging to a family to a race of people and feeling unwanted by everyone including her mother, alcoholic biological father Jimmy Cross, a famous black dancer/comedian and the couple that raise her Paul & Peggy Bush of Atlantic City. Although June at times had a strained relationship with her mother and her Aunt Peggy(who had her own hangups as a light skinned, educated, middle class black woman trying to both uplift her black to become more like upper & middle class whites with education & intergration without rocking the boat through civil disobedience for equal rights and praciticing her own form of discrimination against people she considered not worth uplifting such as lower class uneducated blacks in her neighborhood) her love for both women remained unchanged. She still sought their approval and returned to their affections when needed. June learned to forgive her biological father before he died of cancer and accept what appeared to be a mostly surface relationship with her stepfather, Larry. I am amazed by Mrs. Cross perservance and ability forgive & love given her upbringing and her successful intergration of race and what it means to be both Black & White. I enjoyed reading every chapter and every word of this memoir and it serves to reiterate what I've always felt about being a parent -- " You are not ready to be a parent if you do not want to put your child 1st in all that you do. It's not about you anymore and what you want, it's about what this other person who depends on you whole- heartedly to take care of all their needs including love, security/stability and providing food, water, shelter and the other basic necessities that one needs to thrive and grow into a healthy, mentally capable human being." It truly makes me angry when I see people making babies with no sense of responsibility or willingness to raise a child. IF you don't want to raise a child (forget having one, giving birth that's the easiest part --for those who are lucky enough to be able to conceive I know there are those who cannot-- raising a child is the hard part!!) -- practice abstinence, use a freaking condom or some sort of birth control, place your child up for an adoption. And although many may not agree with this next statement (and although it's not something I'd personally ever do) it is still our right as women in the US to choice to do -- to terminate a pregnancy. I'm sorry I'll get off my soapbox now, but you can see how deeply affected I was by this book...you should defintiely give it a read!
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February 12, 2015Synopsis from B&N: June Cross was born in 1954 to Norma Booth, a glamorous, aspiring white actress, and James 'Stump' Cross, a well-known black comedian. Sent by her mother to be raised by black friends when she was four years old and could no longer pass as white, June was plunged into the pain and confusion of a family divided by race. This is an inspiring testimony to the endurance of love between mother and daughter, a child and her adoptive parents, and the power of community. \nI actually came across this book when I was looking for another book of the same title. \nI found the perspective on race interesting. I grew up an Air Force brat, in diverse environments and with diverse people surrounding me. So racism is never something I�ve really been able to grasp. I mean, 1954 wasn�t really that long ago�50ish years. Yet mixed-race children had an entirely different upbringing, according to Cross�s book.\nI enjoyed the relationship between June and her �adoptive� mom. I think that Aunt Peggy loved her as she was her own. However, June always had her birth mother, Norma, in her life. And Norma had a completely different set of values. I�m sure that added to confusion in young June�s life.\nThe book doubled back on itself some, which led to confusion. And the prose was tedious to slog through at times.\n\n
August 25, 2017
June Cross was born in 1954 to Norma Booth, a glamorous white woman trying to make it as an actress. Her father was James "Stump" Cross, part of a two-man, black comedy team who did vaudeville and radio. Her parents were never married and eventually split up. Norma took her daughter to live in New York City but in the 1950's racism was alive and well. Norma loved her daughter but once she realized her daughter could not pass as white, she sent her to live with a black couple in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Norma ended up marrying Larry Storch of F-Troop fame and they moved to Hollywood. June spent summers in Hollywood and the rest of the year in Atlantic City. Her mother had given birth to a daughter with Larry Storch before they were married and before June was born. Her half sister was given up for adoption. Her mom also had a son at the age of 18 who lived primarily in foster care. June also discovered her father had another daughter who was given up for adoption. This memoir tells of the struggles June Cross dealt with as a mixed race daughter and the feelings she had of never fitting in. She had a white mother who couldn't seem to understand how life was different for her daughter, June. This book also is a story of race and class. I found this book to be a good lesson in how race and class affect one's life and how unfair that can be.
July 20, 2016
Secret Daughter was meant to be a moving, often heart breaking account of how racism in America broke one young girl's family apart, causing her white unwed mother to give her half-black daughter away to a black couple - not family, but former landlords!!! - where she might have a normal childhood free from stares and other cruelty and mom could have her shot at stardom. To me, it read more like the life of a bi=racial child who had the misfortune of being born to a cold, reckless, and selfish mother who bore three children by three different men and raised none of them. However you may weigh the results of this story, it ultimately tells the tale of the human spirit that rises above and will not be defeated. Unfortunately, not every child who faces this type of heartless neglect will graduate from Harvard and become a reporter for Public Television, but praises to Ms. Cross, as she overcame a miserable childhood to accomplish great things.
May 21, 2016
Great book. I don't read a lot of memoirs, but J. kindly left this at my house and I picked it up.
An interesting portrait of a woman who was subject to the particular pressures of her day, very similar to The Girls Who Went Away, in that it helps us understand why a woman would make a choice that many of us think impossible.
I was amazed at Cross' empathy for her mom, her ability to still revel in her love for the woman who essentially told her that if she were lighter skin she would have raised her but since she wasn't she left her to be "kept" by a family friend.
Interesting too, the number of informal relationships where children stayed with adults who were not their parents with no real legal relationship in place... reminds me of Dr. Mark's idea that perhaps a more limited government in the child welfare arena would be prudent. I don't know about that, but it made me wonder.
An interesting portrait of a woman who was subject to the particular pressures of her day, very similar to The Girls Who Went Away, in that it helps us understand why a woman would make a choice that many of us think impossible.
I was amazed at Cross' empathy for her mom, her ability to still revel in her love for the woman who essentially told her that if she were lighter skin she would have raised her but since she wasn't she left her to be "kept" by a family friend.
Interesting too, the number of informal relationships where children stayed with adults who were not their parents with no real legal relationship in place... reminds me of Dr. Mark's idea that perhaps a more limited government in the child welfare arena would be prudent. I don't know about that, but it made me wonder.
February 10, 2013
An autobiographic and very personal account of what it was like to grow up mixed race during the dawn of the Civil Rights era and beyond. I felt so bad for this little girl who didn't quite understand why her mother seemed to be ashamed of her from time to time. Passages where her mother says she had hoped she stayed "light skinned" so in a best case scenario she could "pass". Her family in Atlantic City did their best to instill pride and a sense of a loving family in this girl. Although I don't doubt that her mother loved her, the social limitations of the time didn't always allow her to publicly show it. Even at 35, with a successful career, her mother introduces her to a fellow guest as "my friend June" signaling that it wasn't ok to call her Mom. I can't imagine. I just can't fathom how difficult this must have been. A good read.
May 6, 2016
The story of June Cross, a little girl born to a white mother and black father. June's mother dotes on her but unfortunately just before June turns 4, she's sent to live with a black family as June can no longer 'pass' as white. Although June is well looked after by Peggy and Paul, she often lacks a sense of identity. Her mother visits her and sends for her to visit her but after her mother marries, she starts introducing June as her adopted niece and asks June to stop calling her mommie. Peggy and Paul although the love June are also just her 'aunt and uncle.' They have diffrent views about how to raise her that her mother doesn't agree with. This continues and June seeks to find herself and identity and learn more about her family, why her mother gave her away and build relationships.
An informative read. 4/5
An informative read. 4/5
November 6, 2017
Very interesting book about growing up in the 50's and the problems she incurred as a product of a mixed race couple. Although her mother loved her dearly, she was an actor and knew that she would not get any jobs, nor would they be treated well, if they knew she had a mixed race child. So June was raised by a loving but strict black family in Atlantic City, and visited her Mom and her husband, also an actor, (F Troop) for a month in August every year where she enjoyed more freedoms and a different lifestyle than back in New Jersey. However, she was always referred to as someone other than her mother's daughter. This constant state of flux made her wonder where she belonged and challenged her morals and values as she grew up. She became a successful writer and eventually made a documentary in the 1970's about her mother and her life.
November 21, 2011
A poignant and riveting account of June Cross' life as a biracial girl who straddled two worlds growing up in the 50's and 60's: black and white, family and foster family, never feeling like she belonged or was fully accepted for who she was. Despite the pain and confusion of struggling to find herself and her identity, Cross found truth, acceptance, and forgiveness. The following, attribted to an unknown author, applies to this story, too: “Isn’t it ironic? We ignore those who adore us, adore those who ignore us, hurt those who love us and love those who hurt us."
May 5, 2009
June Cross is an amazing storyteller. I was able to follow along with her emotions and experiences as if I were there with her, and she developed the story in such a way that I only came to understand all of the angles of the story as she herself had, and as she chronicled her life. The ending was rather surprising and fascinating for me, as I realized along with June that her mother had quite probably done the right thing.
January 20, 2010
I saw a 60 Minutes piece when I was a teenager about June Cross' childhood that I thought was fascinating. She was essentially hidden by her Caucasian mother and raised by family friends in Atlantic City because she was biracial. Eventually she wrote Secret Daughter, which told a much richer story than the Sixty Minutes piece, but no less fascinating. She's a great writer and I hope she does other books. It's a complex coming of age in America story that I think has wide appeal.
March 12, 2010
i can't get over how pervasive the author's guilt exists throughout the book. at the end, she still seemed more focused on her mom's affirmation and legacy than confronting the pain of being forced to endure (and co-conspire) her mother's denial. the book, however, is well-written; albeit confusing at times as she jumps back and forth in time.
it is sad that this type is situation occurred frequently in America.
it is sad that this type is situation occurred frequently in America.
January 5, 2014
June Cross tells a moving story about her relationships with her mother, the woman who raised her, her father, step-father, and the man who raised her. She tells about growing up and trying to fit in as a member of her various families and communities- black & white. This is difficult enough for any young woman, but this adds the trauma of being "hidden" by her birth mother, abandoned by her birth father, and not accepted by extended family.
June 24, 2007
This memoir was the straw that allows me to say with conviction that I hate memoirs. They should either remove themselves from the story and make it fiction or do some fact-checking and make it an autobiography. In a book like this, she writes conversations from when she was five years old using quotation marks. As I have never met anyone with my elephant memory, she loses credibility.
September 22, 2008
Autobiography by a journalist and award-winning television producer who was born to a white mother who aspired to be a film actress and a black musician. As a result she was given away by her mother because she did not "pass", i.e., she looked black. This is a facinating story of the love relationship between a white mother who wasn't there and her mixed-race daughter.
May 23, 2011
One of the few memoirs that have come across as frank and tender. The ending may have not been perfect (and I'm not speaking of its delivery) but for the fact that a wound as deep could hardly be patched up by the time the mother finally made amends, yet I still felt that this was a woman who hadn't given up on forgiving others. Beautiful, beautiful memoir!
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