From Booklist
Coreen Holmes Treadwell is well respected in Bakerville, North Carolina, but when she is called to testify before a senate committee, she is paralyzed with fear that her secret will be revealed. While in high school, she was raped and became pregnant. Thrown out by her parents, she gave the baby up for adoption, went to college, became a hardworking and valued social worker, and married a man named Bates, becoming stepmother to his two children. Now she is afraid that Bates will find out about her past troubles and that she'll lose his love and respect. Meanwhile, unknown to Coreen, her child, Frieda, is looking for her and seeking revenge because her adopted father abused her. Mother and daughter are on a collision course that brings out the worst in both women, causing them to jeopardize the good in their lives. Forster's understated style allows for an insightful inquiry into the plight of African American women and the men who abuse them. Patty Engelmann
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