Take My Hand
Books | Fiction / Women
4.3
(230)
Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Winner of the 2023 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Fiction“Deeply empathetic yet unflinching in its gaze…an unforgettable exploration of responsibility and redemption.”—Celeste Ng Inspired by true events that rocked the nation, a searing and compassionate new novel about a Black nurse in post-segregation Alabama who blows the whistle on a terrible injustice done to her patients, from the New York Times bestselling author of WenchMontgomery, Alabama, 1973. Fresh out of nursing school, Civil Townsend intends to make a difference, especially in her African American community. At the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic, she hopes to help women shape their destinies, to make their own choices for their lives and bodies.But when her first week on the job takes her along a dusty country road to a worn-down one-room cabin, Civil is shocked to learn that her new patients, Erica and India, are children—just eleven and thirteen years old. Neither of the Williams sisters has even kissed a boy, but they are poor and Black, and for those handling the family’s welfare benefits, that’s reason enough to have the girls on birth control. As Civil grapples with her role, she takes India, Erica, and their family into her heart. Until one day she arrives at their door to learn the unthinkable has happened, and nothing will ever be the same for any of them.Decades later, with her daughter grown and a long career in her wake, Dr. Civil Townsend is ready to retire, to find her peace, and to leave the past behind. But there are people and stories that refuse to be forgotten. That must not be forgotten.Because history repeats what we don’t remember.Inspired by true events and brimming with hope, Take My Hand is a stirring exploration of accountability and redemption.“Highlights the horrific discrepancies in our healthcare system and illustrates their heartbreaking consequences.”—Essence
Historical Fiction
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More Details:
Author
Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Pages
368
Publisher
Penguin
Published Date
2022-04-12
ISBN
0593337697 9780593337691
Community ReviewsSee all
"Finished this a couple weeks ago (in one day!) I absolutely loved it and it was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star read for me. The interweaving of Civil’s privileged family story with that of her care for her patients and especially the connection she made with the severely impoverished Williams family while working as a nurse at the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic highlights the inequalities between her Black educated well respected, (father was a MD) family and the rural poor Blacks in Alabama. Loved that it touched on how corrupt the system was and how difficult it was to help as it can be seen as shaming the very proud people who haven’t chosen to live in abject poverty. Although dealing with difficult subjects,, it’s a fast read and both the main character, Civil, and the people who supported her and the Williams family that she tries to help offer so much hope along the way. "
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Melissa Craver
"Such a good book! A must read!"
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CHARIS LYON
"One of the best books I’ve read thus far in 2023. Great read from start to finish!"
J O
Jessica Owens