The lives of three generations, mother, daughter, and granddaughter, spans from Tulsa, OK., to Los Angeles to New York. Despite the differences and the miles between them, movies are the one thing that allows them to change and shape their lives. Grandmother Mildred embraces the movies as a way to escape the memories of the race riot that killed her mother. The movies also lead her into a secret life that isn't revealed until the end of the book. Movies lead daughter Angela to leave stifling Tulsa, OK and become the "third girl on the left" in blaxploitation films. Granddaughter Tamara uses film to tell the stories of their lives.

Beautifully written, "Third Girl On the Left" contain richly developed characters. Despite their strained relationships, the author shows us how each of the three women share the need to break with tradition and express their deepest desires. ( )

This novel is about three generations of women. All three of these African American women love films. Angela grows up in Tulsa Oklahoma with a very private mother. She eventually moves to California to pursue acting but gets caught up in the "black exploitation" films of the 1970s. Angela ends up having a daughter who marvels at the passion her mother had for becoming a famous actor but never accomplished.
This story is not only about black films, but it about the relationships between mothers and daughters. Highly recommended. ( )