Imagine Me
by
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These were times that I thought nothing bad could ever happen. Then we had the fire. We were asleep in our bedroom when it started. I was awakened to flashing red lights and banging on the front door. My sister and I ran to Mama’s room to wake her up, and then upstairs to wake up our brothers, Mike and Jr. Rounding the top of the stairway, we could feel the heat. Looking out the back window I saw flames coming out of the garage. The heat was so intense that I felt it through the window. Mama had opened the front door to the fireman who was telling us to get out because of the possibility of the house catching on fire. Mama threw on some clothes and we all started out the front door. But then Mama turned back toward the bedroom and started searching the room, the drawers, everywhere. She said, “I have to find my false teeth.” Those infamous teeth were always missing. Mama would drink a bit too much and then hide her false teeth. When she couldn’t find them, she’d offer a reward to the child who could. Being the good child, I knew all of the hiding places.
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About the Book
Imagine Me is a riveting story of a young black girl’s journey growing up in the early ’60s. The setting is Detroit where dreams are formed from life experiences within a city ghetto. A coming-of-age story set during the height of the civil rights movement, this was a time of music, baseball, and fishing on the Detroit River, a time of developing and discovering identity.
The memoir gives a detailed accounting of how a self-described “good girl” copes with the early tragedies of childhood loss and abandonment. Growing from a child having children to the becoming of a woman who refuses to let herself quit, this is a story of strength and commitment to fulfill her mother’s directive, proving to herself—even through domestic violence, drugs, and alcohol abuse—that faith can get you out and enough faith can overcome fear.
This is a journey of hope and dreams fulfilled.
About the Author
Brenda Fantroy-Johnson grew up in Detroit Michigan. She graduated with the highest distinction from Davenport University with a BA in Computer Science. She went on to obtain a MBA from Spring Arbor University. She is a Certified Information Security Professional and holds many other industry certifications. Avid hiker, she has climbed Mt. Rainier, hiked to Mt. Everest Base Camp and walked the Northern Camino of Spain. She currently lives in Washington State with her husband Harvey and their Perfect Labrador Retriever, Tama.