Mama's girl

Veronica Chambers recounts her upbringing in 1970s Brooklyn, navigating a challenging family life and the demands of being an overachiever from an underprivileged background. After her father leaves, Veronica's Panamanian immigrant mother raises her and her brother alone on a secretary's salary. Veronica strives to be the perfect child, rewriting wish lists and caring for her brother, understanding it's the best she can do for her mother. This memoir explores the experiences of the first generation of African Americans to come of age in the post-Civil Rights era.