Chicken Soup for the Soul: I’m Speaking Now: Black Women Share Their Truth in 101 Stories of Love, Courage and Hope

In this moving anthology, Newmark, editor-in-chief of Chicken Soup for the Soul, and novelist Clarke (Angels Make Their Hope Here) bring together 101 spirited testaments from Black women. Entries are no longer than five pages and are grouped into 11 themes, including “Stand Up, Speak Out,” “The Shoulders We Stand On,” “Raising Our Children,” “Loving Black Men,” and “Identity & Roots.” Anchorwoman Ashonti Ford details in “Steel Walls” how her career suffered when she refused to wear a wig with straight hair. In “White Dolls Need Not Apply” Melissa Matthews divulges difficulties teaching her daughters to appreciate their beauty in a world full of blond Disney princesses. In the heartbreaking “A Mask in Terminal C,” Wanda Anderson discusses the time she wept in an airport while watching news coverage of police shootings. Though some pieces have a cursory feel (such as Mia Anderson’s account of a trip to see a friend), the eclectic voices and experiences chronicled resonate. These heartfelt, deeply personal stories paint a sweeping portrait of the Black experience. (June)