Double Stitch

Book excerpt: Stitching together memories of motherhood and daughterhood, the writers in this anthology use the metaphor of quilt making to explore the textures and nuances of these sometimes joyful, sometimes turbulent relationships. This confluence of fiction, personal narrative, essay, and poetry offers generous views into the heart of these women's unromanticized struggles with the cycle of poverty, sexism, racism, incest, alcoholism in the family, and their struggle to discover their own identities in a white patriarchal society. Alice Walker, Audre Lorde, Bell Hooks, Sonia Sanchez, and 43 other women stitch together personally revealing and empowering memories of the legacy of strength, determination, and spirituality cultivated by years of learning to survive, passed down from mother to daughter. The introduction familiarizes the reader with the significance of quilt making in African American society. ISBN 0-8070-0910-5: $19.95.