Rachel, the daughter of a Danish mother and a black G.I., becomes the
sole survivor of a family tragedy after a fateful morning on their
Chicago rooftop.
Forced to move to a new city, with her strict African American
grandmother as her guardian, Rachel is thrust for the first time into a
mostly black community, where her light brown skin, blue eyes, and
beauty bring a constant stream of attention her way. It's there, as she
grows up and tries to swallow her grief, that she comes to understand
how the mystery and tragedy of her mother might be connected to her own
uncertain identity.
This searing and heartwrenching portrait of a young biracial girl
dealing with society's ideas of race and class is the winner of the
Bellwether Prize for best fiction manuscript addressing issues of social
justice.