Sweet Burden of Crossing

Book excerpt: Sweet Burden of Crossing details the story of Chris and Rikki, two college students in the 1980s as they share a journey of father loss that forms a deep bond in surprising ways. While they grew up near one another in Indiana, their lives could not have been more different. Chris grew up in the quiet, midwestern town of LaPorte, and Rikki was raised by foster parents in the industrial town of Gary. The novel follows the young women as they explore their own identities and the intergenerational trauma that has challenged their lives, while also bringing muscle and capacity to their process of growth. Wrapped in the rich dynamics of race, the story also highlights how Chris, the white narrator, grapples with her father's early death during the Civil Rights Movement and awakens to the lived experiences of Blacks in the United States. The story surfaces many thresholds that remain relevant today as we learn to move beyond our comfort zone to access deeper perspectives that free us to live more authentically. As the characters care for one another, they learn that every moment offers a sweet burden, some type of heart lesson and the gift it brings.Sweet Burden of Crossing, in its fictional portrayal of the bumps and joys of cross-racial friendships, is a model for exploring our feelings about race and breaking down barriers of injustice. The book includes questions for group dialogue that offer rigorous inquiry for building our resilience as individuals, as friends, and in community.