Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0446547743, Paperback)
One of the hottest new writers in urban fiction, award-winning author Kia DuPree has been hailed for her heart-wrenching storytelling and unforgettable characters. Now she takes you to Washington, D.C.'s most notorious neighborhood, where a young woman has one chance to escape-and too many ways to lose . . . SILENCEDShe gets lost in the fantasy of books and poetry. But in Tinka Hampton's all-too-real world, her mother Nicola has lost her job and is struggling to stop her family's fall into poverty. With her sons turning to drug dealing-and worse-Nicola wants better things for her daughter. Yet the more pressure she puts on Tinka to do everything right, the more she drives her away . . . straight into the arms of Nine, a man as irresistible as he is lethal. Now Nicola must make unimaginable choices that will put Tinka at a dangerous crossroads. Will standing up for her seemingly impossible dreams be her way out-or will they trap her on D.C.'s merciless streets forever?
(retrieved from Amazon Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:46:39 -0500)
Nicola has it hard as a single mother trying to raise three children on her own. When she loses her job, gets evicted and finds herself moving in with a friend and losing control over her children, she realizes that her life is a lesson for her children, but mainly her young daughter Tinka. Will she be able to teach Tinka how to remain true to herself while loving her sons?
Full of potential, it’s obvious to others that Teyona aka Tinka is a different kind of girl. She’s always reading, writing poetry and seeing things inversely. As their family begins to change, Tinka tries to maintain her identity. But soon, she starts to adapt to her environment, trading her books in for fashion and boys. Though she tries to keep herself in line, she feels pressure from her mother to be the one to survive their lifestyle as her older brothers have apparently failed to live up to their potential. Can Tinka make her mother proud or will she become another victim?
SILENCED by Kia Dupree is voluminous. I love how you meet the characters, the community and you instantly become intricately involved in. As the story moves forward, you find yourself praying for this family as their lives seem to be in a turnstile with heartache and drama nipping at the heels. This is a very realistic account of the choices we make and why. SILENCED is worthy of a recommendation.
Reviewed by: Crystal (