From School Library Journal YA-Folklorist Johnson-Coleman's theme of knowing and respecting one's ancestral roots is clearly recorded in these unforgettable short stories. Based on interviews the author conducted while traveling through her homeland of North Carolina， the selections celebrate the cultural heritage of rural blacks. The author introduces everyday people who lived during times of slavery， Reconstruction， the Depression， and the Civil Rights era. What they have in common is a sense of pride， loads of wisdom， and values that are still applicable and needed in today's world. Six chapters cover family members， neighbors， female/male relationships， young people， Jim Crow laws， the religious populace， and even a version of the folktale "Wiley and the Hairy Man." Each one ends with an "Afterthought" that puts the story in context. For example， in "Call Me by My Name， the author tells of her childhood dislike of her name until her grandfather explains its origins. In the conclusion， she explains the history of the African-American naming custom. The tales are hilarious and harsh， and the dialogue moves at a rapid pace. Young adults will find rousing music， love in all shapes and sizes， and genuine characters here.Connie Freeman， Allen County Public Library， Fort Wayne， IN Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information， Inc. From Library Journal This collection of short stories and essays portrays the experiences of rural African Americans?not community leaders and notables but ordinary people. Johnson-Coleman， a lecturer and workshop leader， includes stories about the child no one wants; the man whose wife， a witch， goes out every night to cause mischief; the preparations for the annual family reunion; and others. Several of these recollections show the evidence of the rich African American folk tradition. Perhaps most memorable is Johnson-Coleman's own account of how she came to appreciate her name， Lorraine Harriet， after learning a little more about her family. Johnson-Coleman manages to make commonplace events and people interesting， partially through her excellent storytelling abilities. She reads with a musical lilt that captures the rhythms of North Carolina speech and makes the people seem like your next door neighbors， folks you've known or would like to know. The tape quality is excellent. Highly recommended for all libraries.?Nancy R. Ives， SUNY at GeneseoCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information， Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition. See all Editorial Reviews