Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611

  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Mother of Orphans: The True and Curious Story of Irish Alice, a Colored Man's Widow

Mother of Orphans: The True and Curious Story of Irish Alice, a Colored Man's Widow

Barker, Dedria Humphries

Paperback

Biographies GeneralHistorical Figures

Publisher Price: $21.99

ISBN10: 194093978X
ISBN13: 9781940939780
Publisher: 2leaf Press
Published: Mar 1 2020
Pages: 250
Weight: 1.00
Height: 0.70 Width: 6.10 Depth: 9.00
Language: English

MOTHER OF ORPHANS: THE TRUE & CURIOUS STORY OF IRISH ALICE, A COLORED MAN'S WIDOW by Dedria Humphries Barker tells the fascinating true story of Alice, an Irish-American woman who navigates the challenges of white-on-white discrimination to build a family with a black man and their mixed-race children in Ohio in 1899. After her husband's death, she is compelled to return to her deeply held beliefs. In 1961, Alice, now the head of her family, moves to Detroit to live with her black relatives, but she passes away just months later, leaving behind three generations questioning why she placed her three mixed-race children in an orphanage after her husband's death in 1912. Forty years later, Alice's great-granddaughter, Barker, who has faced her own struggles with race relations in America, embarks on a quest to uncover the truth behind Alice's decisions. MOTHER OF ORPHANS combines memoir, biography, research, historical documents, and photographs to explore the story of interracial relationships in the early 20th century Ohio River Valley. Barker frequently shifts narrative perspectives, providing glimpses of both the past and present. The result is a poignant reflection on race and familial connections that addresses the complex issues of identity formation. Blending personal narrative with cultural biography, MOTHER OF ORPHANS sheds light on a lesser-known aspect of American history: the resilience of interracial families in the face of Jim Crow laws, including those against mixed-race marriage. Through lyrical and evocative writing, this remarkable book delves into the heart of racial issues and identity, ultimately fostering hope for how future generations may perceive the world.

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