Three Girls from Bronzeville: A Uniquely American Memoir of Race, Fate, and Sisterhood

Maybe I like this because I live on the south side. Maybe I like it beause I take the 3 or 4 bus I really don’t know why. But it’s really a good book

“Three Girls from Bronzeville: A Uniquely American Memoir of Race, Fate, and Sisterhood” by Dawn Turner tells the story of a section of Chicago that received very little publicity. Instead, it served as a haven for black Americans when jobs were scarce in the post-Civil Rights south. The Turners and Trices lived the best they could in the Windy City, and Dawn remembers every detail of her childhood.Memoirs, as a rule, require a very delicate balance because you need to create drama while still establishing tragedy and joy like a young child would define it. Dawn’s race and socioeconomic background provide individuality, while her fear of getting in trouble in school has a universal appeal. Once the story shows spousal abuse, sexual assault, and runaways, it takes on a very adult view of the events.Everything seems familiar when Dawn gets to college, as race plays a slight role in adjusting to a white-majority university. But, of course, anyone who went to a state institution like the University of Illinois will relate. Turner found success but had several roadblocks along the way, some of which she admittedly inflicted on herself; still, a college student who neglects her studies to focus on anti-apartheid protests intrigues me.The novel made me nervous as a memoir about three women but only narrated by one; however, when life events like pregnancy, marriage, and graduation come along, the author does a formidable job at celebrating the accomplishments and growth of the others. So then, when tragedy strikes, you have already earned a spot in this family and feel for everyone because you how much family meant to them.With all of the negative press that Chicago receives, I rooted for these three girls; however, the realities of the street claim many lives. You would like to think the city has more than a 33% success rate, but many distractions exist. Like all great writers, Turner does not reveal her true purpose for writing until very late in the process. I marveled at her ability to convey hope in what could quickly have served as a cautionary tale.

Very heartfelt story of three girls growing up black in Chicago.

A beautiful and personal with vivid and full characters come to life in a setting that everyone needs to appreciate more. Dawn Turner writes with a clarity and generosity of spirit that any reader will deeply appreciate. She opens the door to a life full of strong women who, despite their love and commitment to their family, cannot shield them from the tragedies that so many people in our society face. Turner's depiction of her family and the area of Chicago known as Bronzeville is a testament to her love of both. I lost a night's sleep on this book because I couldn't put it down.

I knew Dawn Turner in college, so I had to buy her memoir when I saw it at the Chicago History Museum gift shop. The Amazon price was much better so I opted to purchase it that way. Dawn’s story is powerful and a reminder of the strength of the human spirit, despite inner struggles that we don’t always share with others.

This is a book about the lives of three girls who meet in elementary school and whose lives take different paths. It’s a book about second chances, redemption, forgiveness and determination. Many who live outside of urban ghettos, think that poverty and crime are the reasons for a lack of achievement in urban youth, but this book tells us that more must be taken into account. I know this because I grew up on a block where one Black boy succumbed to gangs and drugs, yet another became the CEO of a large company. When I finished the book, I thought, "There, but for the grace of God, go I."

A very enjoyable and interesting book. It seemed confused whether or not to be a novel or an editorial. Would have enjoyed more detail on emotions of the events. Slow and boring at times but still engaging enough for me to finish.

What an elegant, emotional book! Turner's disciplined, deeply affective prose provides access to a world of experience too few people have seen, much less understand. She gives a full picture of the lives and times of three young women who grew together and apart, with no easy answers as to how one gains conventional success, another a life prison term and the third no life at all. Through it all, the book shows life in a neighborhood grown by Black determination, abandoned and betrayed by city services, and revived through the memories of a caring, careful author.