Too Beautiful for Words: 10th Anniversary Edition - Softcover

Morris, Monique W.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0615587992 ISBN 13: 9780615587998

Publisher: MWM Books, 2012

Synopsis

Seventeen-year old Angie was a good high school girl who dreamed of being a beautician--until she met Jesus, an attractive, smooth-talking pimp. Jesus lures Angie into working for him changes her name to Peaches. When Peaches's life takes a tragic turn, her son, Jason, must decide whether to continue this legacy of violence or to stop the cycle of hopelessness that threatens to swallow his own life as well.

About this title

About the Author:

Monique W. Morris is a researcher, author, and advocate with more than 20 years of professional and volunteer experience as a scholar advocate in the areas of civil rights and social justice. Morris is a 2012 Soros Justice Fellow and the Co-Founder of the National Black Women's Justice Institute. Prior to this work, Morris was the Vice President for Economic Programs/ Advocacy and Research for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She is also the former Director of Research/Senior Research Fellow for the Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice at UC Berkeley Law School and Director of the Discrimination Research Center. For over 15 years, she has led efforts to examine and respond to racial disparities in the justice system. She has worked in partnership with state and county agencies, academic institutions and communities throughout the nation to develop comprehensive approaches and training curricula to reduce ethnic and gender disparities in the justice system. Morris is the author of over 50 published articles, book chapters, and other documents discussing social justice issues. For more information, visit http://moniquewmorris.me. Follow her on Twitter @MoniqueWMorris

From Publishers Weekly:

In this earnest, flawed tale of life on the streets, Morris, a senior research associate with the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, uses the familiar coming-of-age format to tell the story of Peaches, a high school girl led astray by a wily pimp, Jesus, who first seduces her with visions of the high life and then convinces her to sell her body. Raised by her grandparents after her mother's death, Peaches is the perfect victim for the fast-talking ex-con, who cures her of her churchgoing ways and turns her into his prime moneymaker, making her an example of feminine hustle to his other girls. The story takes several twists when Peaches becomes pregnant, gives birth to a son and thinks about escaping to a new life. She is encouraged when she meets Chinaka, a Black Panther actively battling the system, who befriends her and tries to convince her to walk away from Jesus before she comes to a bad end. When the story's focus shifts to Peaches's child, Jason, the narrative falters at first, but regains its momentum as the young man tries to come to terms with his criminal father's legacy. Told alternately from the first-person perspectives of Peaches, Jesus, Jason and Chinaka, the story is delivered in colloquial, dialogue-rich prose. Morris attempts to inject her grim tale with humanity and give new meaning to the old adage about the sins of the father, but the novel is often transparently didactic. As a result, the bloody conclusion comes as an ugly surprise; meant to be redemptive, it is chilling instead. 5-city author tour.

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About this edition

• Publisher: MWM Books
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0615587992
• ISBN 13: 9780615587998
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192