Mercedee

Book excerpt: From an early age, Mercedee witnessed violence and abuse firsthand. Born in Louisiana in 1908, she endured hardships throughout her lifetime. In Mercedee, author M.D. Thomas, Mercedees granddaughter, narrates a triumphant tale of one particular womans suffering and how she coped with her many challenges. It is a primitive look at the racism and abuse she endured from her husband, friends, and society. Being severely beaten by her mate, living in a variety of towns and homes, trying to raise her own children, Thomas tells how Mercedee survives. This story contributes to the understanding of a different and difficult situation that many people experience who are born poor and die the same way.