Review of Madame Ph.D.: Growing Up Black in DC and Beating the Odds

[Elizabeth-Tush4Christ]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Madame Ph.D.: Growing Up Black in DC and Beating the Odds" by Gwynette Ford Lacy, Ph.D., MBA.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Madame Ph.D.:Growing up Black in Dc and Beating the Odds by Gwynette Ford Lacy Ph.D., MBA


The author is a well-read African-American woman who grew up as an underprivileged black girl in Washington DC, alongside her parents and sister.
Nettie, as her friends nicknamed her started well as a bright student. In this book, she recounts her life story. It's well-known that earning a Doctor of Philosophy Degree (Ph.D.) is the pinnacle of academic achievement in any field, but such endeavors are not for the faint of heart and come with their own set of challenges.

It is typical of African-American homes in that era to attend a local church. They went to a local Baptist church and Sunday school was a must. She was raised to value, love, and care for herself and her family. Her mother excelled in gathering the family during celebrations, preparing special recipes and delightful homemade meals.

As a black woman in her time, she has the odds stacked against her on too many levels, this is because it is a man's world, and the color of her skin wouldn't exactly work in her favour as well. The black African Americans were in the minority.
Recognizing this early on, she leveraged it to her benefit, operating under the steadfast belief that perseverance, hope, and determination (PHD) could lead her to fulfillment. Despite her parents' early separation, she remained undeterred, as they effectively co-parented. Her mother's discretion regarding their split helped mitigate potential stigma.

Nettie narrated how she was bullied, almost raped, and repeatedly pushed down. Despite her intelligence and brilliance, she didn't have it easy. After the bullying incident in school, she learned that no matter how smart you are or how hard you try to do the right thing, you may get knocked down, and life may kick you around. When that happens, you pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and keep walking.
Often, we think life throws us curveballs because we're not good enough. We believe if we were smarter, wiser, or richer, we wouldn't have as many problems. But no matter what, life keeps moving, and we must keep going. The author sums it up with a French saying she learned: "C'est la vie" - That's Life.

The book has valuable life lessons, and I appreciate the author's optimistic outlook. As the story progresses, she meets Lucy, the love of her life and partner, who encourages her to be her best self. They get married and grow their careers together, balancing their degree, family, and work without intimidation or fear. Most marriages wouldn't have survived such a busy phase in life. The book demonstrates that a family can grow to achieve their greatest potential, whatever it might be if they stick together and help each other. This was the peak of the book for me, as the author finally achieved her dreams and lived a balanced life, something most of us aspire to attain at one point in our lives.

The story was almost without hiccups, but the unthinkable happened: the author was diagnosed with sarcoidosis. At this point in the story, I was heartbroken. Oh no, just when everything was finally falling into shape and taking a great turn, disaster struck. What happened next? Will this be the end of what looks to be a happy-ever-after? You will find answers in the book.

The author demonstrates impressive writing skills in this book. The story is professionally edited and thoroughly enjoyable. I found nothing to dislike about it. I couldn't spot any errors throughout the book, so I give it a perfect rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Overall, I couldn't find anything critical to say about this book.

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Madame Ph.D.: Growing Up Black in DC and Beating the Odds
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[Tomy Chandrafrost]

The premise of this book looks interesting, considering the themes it addresses are relevant to the current human issue. Reading your review makes me even more eager to read this book. Thank you for writing this. What a great review.

[Gerry Steen]

I tip my hat to Gwynette Ford Lacy, Ph.D. Her qualities of perseverance, hope, and determination are inspirational. I imagine that her parents must have been so proud of her. It is absurd that people must struggle to succeed in life because of the color of their skin. Gwynette did not sit around and feel sorry for herself. She went and got what she deserved. God bless her. How could one not be interested in her story? I am adding this book to my bookshelves. Thank you for this informational and inspirational review.

[Runan]

From your review, I understand that this is a truly inspiring story. A story about beating against all odds to finally succeed is encouraging for the readers. It's true that one can be brilliant and exceptionally skilled, but life doesn't give them a pass to make it easy, unfortunately. Life throws stuff at you to learn and grow. I love your clear analysis of this book.

[Ohmy Book]

Woah, the author must have had it really tough. She is a brave person. Kudos to her, and to you for writing this wonderful review! Thank you for sharing your thoughts.