Fear for her pregnant daughter during the turbulent early months of 2020 overwhelmed Arleen Williams.

Her fears were not unfounded. Her daughter worked in Seattle’s Harborview Hospital Emergency Department, the Pacific Northwest response epicenter to an unknown, yet deadly, virus rapidly spreading around the world. Jack was born three weeks early, during the COVID lockdown, to a chorus of Black Lives Matter chants outside the hospital windows, ignited by the police murder of George Floyd.

Intertwined in this unique memoir are the joy and fear of becoming a grandmother during a time of political polarization, social reckoning, and forced isolation in a global pandemic. Williams’ determination to keep her grandson safe evolved into a new kind of personal awakening. By caring for this child – privileged by his skin color and the educated, middle-class status of his family – she became increasingly aware of the importance of teaching him antiracist and inclusive behaviors.

But was she up to the job?