The journal also provides a glimpse into the captivating but closely guarded family history and sheds light on how family secrets and difficult relationships impacted the lives of four generations of proud African-American women – from her maternal great grandmother Megan Devereaux who passed on her disdain for dark skin to her first born daughter Carrie who was shockingly born as brown as a paper bag and not acceptable by her mother Megan’s standard for beauty.

Five years have passed since Mignon Samuels first discovered the priceless journal that chronicles the lives of the strong women who came before her. Now, she’s ready to add her own history to that of four previous generations documented inside. But it won’t be just her story; it will also reach back to her mother’s people – the entire Daniels clan.

Mignon’s journey takes her back to several moments in time, including the early days of her grandparents’ marriage and the troubles they faced – troubles that in some ways mirror her own. Her mother, Uncle Eddie, and aunts Odele and Sofia each had their own mountain to climb: womanizing, drug addiction, even murder. They have sought the healing power of God, but it will take years, perhaps decades, for those who survive to really see the light.

As she delves deeper into her family’s sometimes murky past, Mignon unearths a secret that turns everything she’s taken for granted upside-down. With her sense of self shaken, Mignon also faces a difficult loss. Yet, like her proud ancestors, she knows the value of experiencing rebirth, and of finding the strength and faith to change her life and her family’s future….