Spanning from when she was a young child to the final chapter, which introduces Maya's newborn child, the incidents which make her life such an interesting one often demand courage. The author obviously acknowledges this, with her quote "One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. ... It is the one in which she describes Mama, her grandmother, being harassed in front of their house by a group of several white young women and children. ... The white children call her by her first name, Annie, and at first try to imitate the way she stands and looks. ... It...

• Word Count: 644
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

Woman who grew up in homes where their mothers were beaten or hit accepted it as their role as wife and most often married men who also abused them. ... Men who grew up in homes where their fathers beat their mothers continued the abuse in their own marriages and in most cases also abused their children. ... Each year, an estimated 3.3 million children are exposed to violence by family members against their mothers or female caretakers. ... When men do beat their wives today and the wives collect enough courage to leave, the end result occasionally is much wors...

• Word Count: 813
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

She realized that children learn in different ways and knew our strength and weaknesses. ... My teacher did not ask me more questions; instead she put her arms around me and hugged me with tenderness like a mother giving comfort to her daughter. ... Days passed by but I did not have the courage to talk to her. ... This arrangement would last until we could find our mother. ... I call her mom because even though she is not my natural mother I consider her like an adoptive mother. ...

• Word Count: 1163
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School