Souls of My Sisters: Black Women Break Their Silence, Tell Their Stories and Heal Their Spirits

Literary agent Daniels and media consultant Sandy probe African-American women's strong facade to reveal the spiritual reality beneath it. Pointing to the recent discovery that ""black women have among the highest rates of depression in the country,"" they perceive a need for African-American women to do some serious soul-searching. Early in the book, they ask readers to examine themselves through three simple words: Who am I? From there, they set readers on the path to self-discovery through poetry and soul-baring prose, with numerous, luminous African-American women lighting the path. Written by an eclectic group ranging from Rev. Patricia Webster to hip-hop queen Mary J. Blige, these insightful essays fall into 14 sections including ""The Color of Money,"" ""Isms"" and ""Better With Time."" Many women reveal the despair that has threatened to engulf them, as well as the highs that have crowned their struggles. With characteristic honesty, public relations whiz Terrie Williams reminds readers of the common humanity we all share: ""Deep down inside we are all fragile human beings, each one a combination of victories and defeats, a mixture of pain and joy, suffering and hopes."" In her essay ""When I Was Puerto Rican,"" Teresa Wiltz candidly reveals the humiliation she felt as a child when she was asked to clarify her ethnicity for her classmates. Although it may pull them toward cathartic tears at times, female fans of Iyanla Vanzant and Eric Copage will appreciate this reminder that the burden of living positively and productively is not borne alone. (Oct.)