Nonfiction Book Award Status: Gold
Synopsis
Atlanta, Georgia in the 1950s was not an easy place for a young black girl to grow up and thrive. The author, Linda Joyce, the ninth of eleven children, survived many challenging childhood circumstances too hopeless for most people to overcome. In The Second Room on the Right, Linda reaches down inside and plucks all those internal strings that connect us as human beings. Written with a combination of courage, humor, wisdom, and forgiveness, this book pulls out of the darkness into the light the truth behind race, class, and culture. It also makes the truth stand up and become a story of triumph.
Author Bio
Linda Joyce is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, the ninth of eleven children and an avid reader. Her easy, unrestrained style paints the sound, shape, and color of the characters in her world. In 2014 and 2019, Linda was a winner in the Greensboro Senior Games, Silver Arts Literary Category. She received the 1st place blue ribbon, writing about her life experiences. The National Public Radio (NPR) station, WFDD 88.5FM, on the campus of Wake Forest University, has featured several stories from her memoir. In 2017, the NFAA selected Linda as Author of the Week.
Congrats! to Linda Joyce regarding her award winning book – “The Second Room on the Right”. I have read her book many times because, I too, am a fellow Atlantan attending segregated schools in the 60’s. Linda’s writing style is so descriptive. Though probably not intentional, her words bring sorrow and laughter at the same time. I clung to every sentence while reading. I stepped back in time and relived my childhood. Linda and I are both considered and aged as Senior Citizens. This book should be read by all students who are “history buffs” and who are in high school and college today.