Tampa Book Buzz

book buzz:know where you going? you gotta know where you been! by barbara j. sorey

Know Where You Going? You Gotta Know Where You Been! by Barbara J. Sorey ISBN 978-0-595-37610-0

Barbara J. Sorey’s love of history, family and geneology is evident in her book Know Where You Going? You Gotta Know Where You Been!, in which she shares stories of her life as an African-American growing up in Clearwater, Florida, during segregation. Sorey writes about family vacations, how her parents met, the excitement of moving to a new home, the bonds of family and neighborhood, and her experiences at church and school. She often provides too much information for the casual reader, however, with passages like:

The Davis family lived next door to us. Mr. Jessie Davis was the head of the family. His wife’s name was Sally. They had two daughters, Alma and Gertrude. Gertrude, the eldest daughter, was married to Mr. Fred. They had no children. Alma, it seemed, was always between marriages and had a whole lot of children! Her eldest children were two boys around the same age as Jeannette and I, Ricky and Robert Samuel. The other children, Larry, Thad, Alma, Sally and Jessica, were born later. There were two houses on their property. Mr. and Mrs. Davis lived in the main house with Alma and her kids. Gertrude and Mr. Fred lived in the second house behind the main house.

Such detail, while admirable, makes this book a sometimes-difficult read for someone who is unfamiliar with Sorey’s family or neighborhood. Those readers who share this familiarity, or who have a strong interest in local history, will find Know Where You Going? You Gotta Know Where You Been! to be a richly-detailed trip down memory lane.

Book Buzz Barometer: C-

Sorey blogs at http://goldanddiamond.spaces.live.com/.