Review of Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream
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Nkuna John
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Review of Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream
[Following is a volunteer review of "Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream" by Dr Frank L Douglas.]
Dr Frank L. Douglas was born in British Guiana where he lived with his mother in a tiny little place. He grew up not knowing who his father was, and that affected him in many ways. Whilst he was treated like a boy, in some ways, he had to grow quickly to replace that void of living without that permanent father figure. Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream shows how colourism affected the many parts of the author's life in his home country, and his journey to America proved to be even more challenging because that's where he started experiencing racism in its purest form.
There is a simple message that this book is conveying. The poverty the author experienced, and the racism and colourism he endured played a significant role in moulding him to become a successful scientist and business leader. The story is inspiring, but it doesn't try too hard to be that way. The inspiration isn't forced. The reader is left to make their mind whether to be inspired or not. I enjoyed this subtle approach of presenting the book. Sometimes, memoirs demand that the readers sympathise with the subject of the book so they can appreciate their later success, but the author didn't go out looking for sympathy. What the author speaks about in this book is the realities of his life, which just happened to be a series of unfortunate circumstances.
My favourite part of the author's story happens when he moves to the United States of America and his faith in God is tested. We rarely talk about such things because we fear being judged. There's something about this revelation that made me appreciate the book a little more. Perhaps this revelation made me see and appreciate the honesty this book was written with. A lot of things can shake our faith in God, and it's not surprising that the author was disillusioned at some point in his journey. He truly lived a challenging life, and he continued to endure some troubles even when he was successful and respected in the medical field.
I have no negative critique for this book. I just loved it. It was also edited perfectly, which is a bonus. I rate the book four out of four stars because it's just really good. It has to be one of my favourite memoirs, and as someone who prefers fiction, it's quite a big statement to make.
The book has some themes that are derogatory in nature, and some of the language used is racist, and I think that this is important to point out because it may be too much for some readers. As a black person myself, I know I was a little triggered by some of the things the author experienced in his life. With that said, I would recommend the book to someone looking for a memoir that shows the underdog rising above their challenges to reach the pinnacle of human success.
******
Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Dr Frank L. Douglas was born in British Guiana where he lived with his mother in a tiny little place. He grew up not knowing who his father was, and that affected him in many ways. Whilst he was treated like a boy, in some ways, he had to grow quickly to replace that void of living without that permanent father figure. Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream shows how colourism affected the many parts of the author's life in his home country, and his journey to America proved to be even more challenging because that's where he started experiencing racism in its purest form.
There is a simple message that this book is conveying. The poverty the author experienced, and the racism and colourism he endured played a significant role in moulding him to become a successful scientist and business leader. The story is inspiring, but it doesn't try too hard to be that way. The inspiration isn't forced. The reader is left to make their mind whether to be inspired or not. I enjoyed this subtle approach of presenting the book. Sometimes, memoirs demand that the readers sympathise with the subject of the book so they can appreciate their later success, but the author didn't go out looking for sympathy. What the author speaks about in this book is the realities of his life, which just happened to be a series of unfortunate circumstances.
My favourite part of the author's story happens when he moves to the United States of America and his faith in God is tested. We rarely talk about such things because we fear being judged. There's something about this revelation that made me appreciate the book a little more. Perhaps this revelation made me see and appreciate the honesty this book was written with. A lot of things can shake our faith in God, and it's not surprising that the author was disillusioned at some point in his journey. He truly lived a challenging life, and he continued to endure some troubles even when he was successful and respected in the medical field.
I have no negative critique for this book. I just loved it. It was also edited perfectly, which is a bonus. I rate the book four out of four stars because it's just really good. It has to be one of my favourite memoirs, and as someone who prefers fiction, it's quite a big statement to make.
The book has some themes that are derogatory in nature, and some of the language used is racist, and I think that this is important to point out because it may be too much for some readers. As a black person myself, I know I was a little triggered by some of the things the author experienced in his life. With that said, I would recommend the book to someone looking for a memoir that shows the underdog rising above their challenges to reach the pinnacle of human success.
******
Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
