Laughing in the Dark: From Colored Girl to Woman of Color--A Journey From Prison to Power

"Laughing in the Dark" is the Black female side of Nathan McCall's "Makes Me Wanna Holler." Both works share the stories of young African people growing up with harsh realities and obstalces. Both books are about "how I overcame," and what it takes to endure the hardships of life.Ms. Gaines's book though is rare, for we don't have nearly enough coming-of-age books by African women. The focus is mainly on the plight of African men.Though "Laughing in the Dark" is somewhat depressing, it serves to remind us of those Black women who are not "waiting to exhale" and can't get their groove on because they don't have the privileges to do so. They must find strength in themselves where there might not be very much strength.I hope more books like Gaines will be written. I'm sure there are many more sistahs out there with similiar stories to tell.

Patrice Gaines's book Laughing in the Dark opens the eyes of women, both young and old, across the country. Patrice takes you on a journey through her life filled with pain and tears, toward self survival and determination to better her life. Patrice helps women see inside themselves through her powerful words and wisdom. She encourages women to better themselves and to always believe in themselves. With her gripping stories and tear-filled memories of childhood to her successes in womanhood, she helps you find your true self and pushes you to be the best you can be. I enjoyed this book immensely, and it has pushed me to look deeper inside my own soul for the person I want to be.

The reader discovers the personal world of Patrice Gaines, a staff reporter with the Washington Post and a recipient of the National Association of Black Journalists Award. The impetus for this memoir was Gaines' view of her baby daughter from a thin jail cell window. The story unravels as Gaines seeks to be the independent woman that her daughter can look up to with pride.Gaines provides us with the details of her struggle, commencing with her life as a five-year-old on a military base in Quantino, Virginia in 1954, when the Supreme Court declared segregated schools unconstitutional.The adversities she faced included: being raped twice, shoplifting, abusing drugs, getting divorced, and going to prison. She delineates these experiences with stark honesty and a compassionate understanding of everyone. Her sensitivity is strongly highlighted by her complete and unwavering devotion to gay friends in their personal battles against AIDS.As the story unwinds, the reader is poignantly aware of Gaines' personal and professional growth. She comes to meet her daughter's needs, as they each mature into adulthood, one a journalist and one a college student.This non-fictional account of one journalist's life is well written and totally captivating. "Laughing in the Dark" cannot be kept waiting; it must be read immediately from start to finish.

I throughly enjoyed this book. It was nice to read from an author who talked about how she struggled in life and even went to jail before getting her head straight, as well as her failures and mistakes. I think Gaines is a very good author and this book was very well-written. I love it. It's one of my favorites.

I think Patrice Gaines's Laughing in the Dark captures the eyes and ears of most women in America. With her strong voice and powerful heart she did what most women wouldn't dare: She talked about reality and what really goes on behind closed doors when you constantly let men control your life, including your mind and your money. She wants people to know that you can take back control. She makes excellent points about drugs and issues of race, things that been around her all her life. It doesn't matter what color or age you are, sometime in your life you may have experienced the things Patrice mentions in her book. Patrice writes about the importance of family and friendship; she lets you know that without family and friends you can't change. She should be congratulated for facing and overcoming the problems she had in her life. She didn't let her troubles overpower her; she overpowered them. I would like to say this to Patrice: Keep your voice strong and your heart powerful and there will always be someone listening and understanding what you're trying to say.