Review by Fireside119 -- Reflections of an Anxious Afric...

[Mercy119]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Reflections of an Anxious African American Dad" by Eric L. Heard.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Reflections of an Anxious African American Dad is a non-fiction novel in which Eric L. Heard, the author, recounts his childhood experience. He provides a brief history of his extended family and reflects on how the crack epidemic affected his community of Pensacola, Florida.

What I liked most about the book is that the author explicitly states that he will save his son from the generational curse. Despite the hardships he endured, he instills in his son the value of discipline and the gravity of education. That school of thought wasn’t prevalent in the community in which he grew up, hence many youths fell by the wayside.

The author’s recollections made me pity him since the events highlighted in the book took place before his teenage years. I wonder what effect witnessing first-hand domestic violence and dealing with problematic family members imprinted on a young boy’s mind. Abject poverty, segregation, and the lack of upward mobility contributed to the rot within his neighborhood. There were, however, periods of brief joy and laughter when children could be children. Those ended abruptly, punctuated by a hurried relocation to his packed grandmother’s house.

The book’s events are very much relevant in today’s climate as thousands of black Americans live in environments similar to the author’s. The legacy of degeneracy was offset by an eye-opening experience in military barracks, where he got to mingle with children of different ethnicities and social status. The author also highlights the relationship between civilians and law enforcement, where youngsters are automatically branded as criminals due to their skin color and low socioeconomic status.

What I didn’t like about the book is that it is too short. Since I was so invested in the story, I would’ve liked to know how the author’s life progressed. I’m interested in how he made it out of the neighborhood and the progress of his family members. There is, however, hope since the author hints at future books that will take the baton.

I will, therefore, award Reflections of an Anxious African American Dad a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. I did not award it a full rating because I spotted a few wordy sentences and misplaced periods. Those, however, did not detract from the reading experience. I would recommend this book to any middle-class to wealthy individuals who haven’t experienced significant hardships and public policy researchers who would like an inside look at how to improve deteriorating neighborhoods.

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Reflections of an Anxious African American Dad
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[Raluca_Mihaila]

Reading about other people's struggle and hard life make you realize how fortunate you are. I hope the author managed to save his son and offer him a different life. Great review!

[Sakura5]

I read a lot of African American literature, and this one seems like an honest and open-hearted book. Thanks for the detailed review!

[J_odoyo]

The author's reflection on his childhood experience definitely presents truth moments that any reader can benefit from. I like your honest and detailed review. Thanks for this wonderful review.

[Mtibza eM]

This seems like a very touching, inspirational book. Thank you for sharing with all of us.

[Olaniyi O]

Waoo it good to work hard to get a good result,thanks to him for saving his son form the curse that a good work,this is a great review

[Mariana Figueira]

This man's story sounds fascinating and appropriate for this moment in history, and I love the title. Thanks for an amazing review!

[DANAWEB]

A Childhood experience of the author which most of the black Americans experienced when they growing up. Thank you for the detailed review!

[Huini Hellen]

Too bad that this book had to be that short. Thanks for the review.

[Nicholus Schroeder]

Quite the informative review you have written, good job!

[MsH2k]

I am glad the author “recounts periods of brief joy and laughter when children could be children.” Those experiences are priceless, no matter how infrequently they happened. Thank you for your thoughtful review!

[PeterRabitt20]

This book has the potential to help through similar hardships. It's important for children to have a good role model who can keep them from negative influences. Great review!

[Kavita Shah]

That's really great that he teaches his son the lesson which he hadn't been able to learn. Childhood experiences will help get a deeper understanding about the author. Thank you for an informative review!

[Chigo Nwagboso]

This depicts the love of a father to his son, and trying to ensure he toed the right part and not having to suffer as he did. Thanks for a detailed review.

[markodim721]

Although I am not a big fan of books like this, the author must be commended for his courage. Thanks for the good review.