This is not just a memoir.
Nor is this book only the telling of our American history. Carolin Sumlin vulnerably shares her personal experience within white culture and brilliantly points out how white supremacy has impacted our every days lives.

Sumlin educates the reader by showing how white supremacy has built a white culture, a culture that pushes us to be perfectionists, individualists, hustlers. A society that demands a white standard that none of us can keep, no matter our race.

And lastly, this book offers us hope. A practical guide towards freedom.

Please join the healing journey by learning from this timely, beautiful, Black voice, so we’ll all be free.

I found this book so captivating that it was hard to put down once I’d started reading it. Throughout so many different chapters I found myself relating to the topics discussed in a way that felt incredibly personal, while also being informed on the history, culture and the “why” behind all of it. The journal prompts at the end of each chapter offer a place for quiet reflection and an opportunity to explore attainable and personal solutions. This will be a book that I revisit often and is an incredible reminder of how personal change and healing can contribute to the overall healing of humanity.

Of all the books I’ve shared about in recent years related to white supremacy, this is one of the most accessible to those unacquainted or resistant It is a wonderful entry point or “seed” :)
But regardless of your level of familiarity, it helps us all see & confront personal connections to a concept that often feels abstract and “out there” or “with those people” rather than within us, our families, homes, and workplaces.
She’s definitely done her research to explain the roots, pillars and culture of white supremacy but avoids having the usual dry, academic tone you might expect. Instead it feels much more like listening to a conversation with a friend. She is open about building on the work of others and her stories provide a wonderful grounding and her commentary helps the info and insights take root in our minds and hearts.