Scarred, But Not Broken by L. Catrise Harris

Let your past prepare you, not define you!

Here is the untold story of Catrise’s courageous battles with molestation, abuse, homelessness, motherhood, and a whirlwind of struggle. Indulge yourself in her account of a selfinflicted hell and life-changing experiences with brutal honesty, which ultimately leads to an uplifting story of overcoming life’s adversity.

Tastefully written, Scarred, But Not Broken delves into the meaning of family and relationships, love and deceit—and how it is possible to maintain your sanity despite life’s challenges, even if you are on the verge of losing it all.

Scarred, But Not Broken is proof that where you come from doesn’t have to determine where you can go, and it is a powerful message of how a troubled young girl can blossom into a powerful and confident woman.

Catrise Harris, born Laquilla Catrise Harris, is a former model, owner of several businesses, and a survivor. Catrise lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her three beautiful children, and she enjoys spending time with her children, comedy for laughter, and music to feed her soul. Despite the adversities that she faced in her earlier years, she has learned to rely on her belief in God and her love for her children to get her through. Website: www.iamcatrise.com

Afro-Bougie Blues: A Collection of Short Fiction by Lauren Wilson

Afro-Bougie Blues: A Collection of Short Fiction by Lauren Wilson is an anthology of twelve extraordinary short stories that deal with the lives of ordinary African American men and women facing life's challenges head-on

This collection features an assortment of stories the next more poignant than the last Wilson pulls no punches when she tackles such subjects as abortion, alcoholism, and even a single father tasked with trying to discuss love and sex with his teenage daughter

As a mother of two, I really felt the pain of the female protagonist who first had an abortion and then later on kept having miscarriages. Or the story of the gentleman with post-traumatic stress disorder. After giving his service to his country his reward was to live in a waking nightmare. A nightmare where he daily sees children the age of his daughter dying with homemade bombs

I lived in Frankfort, KY at one time and attended K S U I very much appreciated the historical research that went into the story that featured this small but thriving city Wilson has a great way of helping readers empathize with her characters In every story, I had no trouble feeling what the characters felt

I cringed while reading about the dilemma faced by the young woman meeting her boyfriend's mother for the first time and the subsequent age-old problem of light skin versus dark skin rearing its ugly head.

I give Afro-Bougie Blues: A Collection of Short Fiction by Lauren Wilson 4 out of 5 stars from affirmative action, dashed hopes and dreams, to adulterous confessions Afro-Bougie Blues has it all

Reviewed by Wymanette

Castaneda - Reedsy/Discovery