Growing Up in The Ville in St. Louis, MO - by Pauline E Merry (Paperback)
About this item
Highlights
- Five mostly autobiographical short stories about a little colored girl who grew up in St Louis during the 1940s and 50s, with her observations about her safe, middle class, upbringing in a segregated city that allowed her to develop the intellectual and social skills that served her so well as an adult.
- Author(s): Pauline E Merry
- 206 Pages
- Biography + Autobiography, General
Description
About the Book
Five mostly autobiographical short stories about a little colored girl growing up in St Louis during the 1940s and 50s.
Book Synopsis
Five mostly autobiographical short stories about a little colored girl who grew up in St Louis during the 1940s and 50s, with her observations about her safe, middle class, upbringing in a segregated city that allowed her to develop the intellectual and social skills that served her so well as an adult. These personal insights into the life of a smart, curious, adventuresome little girl who wanted never to be "ordinary" are augmented by the author's social commentary about how colored people were treated during those years and how white control and dominance dictated the behaviors of everyone, blacks and whites alike.
Review Quotes
I wanted to hug that little girl and her sister when I looked at the pictures. Not because they needed protection. No! To congratulate those beautiful elegantly dressed babies who faced down structural inequities while maintaining a life of curiosity, achievements and joy.
- Yolanda Robinson, Ph.D.
What an utter delight to be drawn into the world of young Pauline Estelle! This bright, fearless child...fueled by her feet, her curiosity, and a public library card. She crisscrosses an ever-growing world starting from the sheltered Ville on outwards to the realities of the Civil Rights Era. By interspersing her own reflections and insights as an elder, Dr. Merry augments her child's wonder with her adult knowledge of how the world works. The combined voices are a masterful exploration of class and race in America.
- Thea Iberall, Ph.D., author and playwright
I applaud Dr. Pauline E. Merry for writing such an authentic depiction of the Ville during the time of its zenith. It is accurate, well written, and brought back many pleasant memories of my time living there.
Lynn Beckwith, Jr., Ed.D., Retired Endowed Professor of
Urban Education at the University of Missouri, St. Louis