In a companion to Build a House, Rhiannon Giddens--Grammy Award
winner and cofounder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops--gives wing to a
moving tale of grace and transcendence, with acclaimed artist Briana
Mukodiri Uchendu.
At a sparrow's urging, a young girl feels a mysterious trembling in her
arms, a lightness in her feet, a longing to be free. Her mother tells
her that her Granny Liza experienced the same, as did many of their
people before her. Perhaps it's time, Mama says, to slip the bonds of
earth and join the journey started long ago. To hold each other tight
and rise. Drawing on lyrics from the song "We Could Fly" by Rhiannon
Giddens and Dirk Powell, which in turn draw on a heritage of African
folklore, this incantatory dialogue between a mother and daughter paired
with startlingly beautiful illustrations celebrates love, resilience,
and the spiritual power of the "old-time ways"--tradition and shared
cultural memory--to sustain and uplift.