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Inventing Victoria by Tonya Bolden 

Set in the 1880’s first in Reconstruction Savannah and then in Washington, DC, this is a tale of drive and determination on the part of young Essie.  She lives in a house of ill repute with her mother and several other women.  Essie’s mother had been a slave and  followed the army to Savannah , a long and grueling journey. Essie is deeply ashamed of the way she is being brought up.  The woman who cleans for her mother takes an interest in Essie and asks her mother if she can go to school. (Her mother had to pay for her to do so) She begrudgingly acquiesces and Essie is ecstatic, although she feels that Essie is stepping above herself.

Essie and her mother have a falling out and Essie moves out to take a position in a household as a maid and befriends the other maid at the boarding house.  Her opportunities to get a better position are quite limited and Essie dreams of being able to have a different life.

An elegant African American woman, Mrs. Vaschon arrives at the boarding house and begins to  in Essie.  After several days, she finally asks Essie if she would be eager to leave everything in her life behind her and become a companion to Mrs. Vashon.

Essie is ecstatic!  However, first Mrs. Vashon takes Essie to Washington DC and hires a tutor to teach her etiquette, manners, how to walk, elocution lessons as well as giving her a Classical education such as someone who would be entering society would have.

This is when Essie decides to since she has been reinvented, she will also give herself a new name, Victoria.

She enters Washington DC society and must decide is she will truly leave her past behind forever, or will acknowledge where she truly came from.

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While I have read quite a few books both during and after the Civil War, this was the first one from a different perspective entirely. I’m saddened to admit to myself that my own education had been sorely lacking in this regard.  I had no knowledge whatsoever of African Americans in DC society in this time period.  I am very happy that this has now been remedied and will wholeheartedly recommend this book in the future to students who are interested in this time period and about a young woman with the amazing fortitude to stand up for herself and what she believes in.

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American Born Chinese by Jin Wang

American Born Chinese is the story of Jin Wang, a young boy of Chinese American descent struggling with his  identity. The novel opens in ancient China and is a variation of the Monkey King story.Although he has been born in the United States, he struggles with fitting in and his two identities; especially after he moves with his family to a neighborhood where he is the only Chinese-American student. Another character in the novel is Danny, the All-American blond, blue-eyed basketball player whose life is turned upside down every year when his cousin from China, “Chin-Kee” comes to visit yearly and embodies every stereotype of what it is to be Chinese and embarrasses Danny even further with his mannerisms and style of speaking. The narrative jumps back and forth from the Monkey King story to present day, making it a bit confusing until you understand where the novel ties the two together.

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When I first started to read this novel, I was very confused!  Not only was this my first graphic novel, but the story line appeared to be all over the place!  I’m glad I had to persevere and finish reading it though.