Panhandle Dreams
(Gwen Parker Ames)
Panhandle Dreams, written by first time author Gwen Parker Ames, is a dark and moving story that spans several generations of an African-American family. The chapter names are paraphrased from Martin Luther King, Jr.''s powerful "I have a Dream" and "I have been to the Mountaintop" speeches. The story begins with a focus on Indigo, a twelve-year-old girl living in racially segregated Tallahassee, Florida, and her family''s reaction to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Through a series of overheard conversations, family remembrances and flashbacks, we learn of Indigo''s parents and grandparents, their choices, their limitations, and the often oppressive conditions under which they lived their lives. The story is complex and subtle, covering both the personal evolution of its main characters and the social evolution of a country and a society. It is at times disturbing and raw, piercing the soul with its incisive commentary on past injustices too many would rather forget. And yet, the poignancy with which Ames handles the personal relationships of all of the characters brings them into a three-dimensional world rarely accomplished by a first time author. Panhandle Dreams is highly recommended for adults and young adults, particularly mature high school students ready for a book that will challenge their sense of history, prejudice and discrimination. Because of its ability to emotionally move the reader through a series of personal insights, we have named it a BookReview.com Book of the Month for November 2002.
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