Review: The Mee Street Chronicles: Straight Up Stories of a Black Woman's Life

Autobiographies are a dime a dozen, and going by the school of thought that everyone has a story in them, ergo, everyone has an autobiography in them. But what then makes a memoir powerful? Surely, the thoughts of figures who have made significant achievements are of interest to others. The thoughts of people who have endured extraordinary struggles, too, can serve to be inspirational. In short, the value of personal writing when published, rests on whether or not a personal life-story can have mass appeal, can speak to and of the experiences of many, and stand as testament to a life (or many lives) and a period in time.

Truth be told, I was skeptical when asked to read Frankie Lennon's memoir, The Mee Street Chronicles: Straight Up Stories of a Black Woman's Life. Who is Ms. Lennon? And why did she think her story was worth telling in memoir form (rather than in fiction or poetry). It takes a certain audacity to assume that others might be interested in the autobiography of someone little-known, if at all known. And while the blurb from Nikki Giovanni, the celebrated poet, piqued my interest, I groaned inside when I discovered that Giovanni was a childhood friend. All in all, I had little expectations of this book.

I'm happy to say that The Mee Street Chronicles surprised me.

***

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