Not mine--from the back cover of the book: First published in Paul Robeson’s newspaper, Freedom, and composed of a series of conversations between Mildred, a black domestic, and her friend Marge, Like One of the Family is a wry, incisive portrait of working women in Harlem in the 1950’s. Rippling with satire and humor, Mildred’s outspoken accounts vividly capture her white employers’ complacency and condescension—and their startled reactions to a maid who speaks her mind and refuses to exchange dignity for pay. Although they were written more than six decades ago, MIldred's tales of discrimination, harassment, and entrenched racism, classism [sic], and sexism are shockingly familiar today. Upon publication the book sparked a critique of working conditions, laying the groundwork for the contemporary domestic worker movement. Although she was critically praised, Childress’s uncompromising politics and unflinching depictions of racism, classism, and sexism relegated her to the fringe of American literature. Like One of the Family has been long overlooked, but this new edition, featuring a foreword by best-selling author Roxane Gay, will introduce Childress to a new generation. ( )

I'm not sure if I just tried to read this at the wrong time or what, but I've tried several times now and simply couldn't get into this book. I enjoyed the forward and introduction a lot more than the actual body of the work. Perhaps my expectations were too high (or too low), I don't know, but this book just didn't work for me at this time. I'll be setting it aside to try again in the future. ( )

A delightful reprint that didn't hold my attention as well as I had hoped, Like One of the Family takes a look at the lives of a woman who works as household help. I love the idea of brief vignettes although these tend toward monologues (not necessarily my favorite). Childress works to get to the heart of the issues of her lifetime through the lens of an often-overlooked voice. The fact that Childress takes on such issues from the voice of a marginalized woman makes it worth the read. It will broaden your perspective, and that alone is a reason to pick up the book. If you are oriented towards social justice, it is not a title that should be missed, especially if you didn't read it the first time around. ( )

A fantastic reprint of a classic. Roxane Gay's introduction is well-placed. If you read (or saw) _The Help_, add this to your list for a more complicated, honest look at domestic workers. It's is delightful, informative, entertaining, and timeless all at the same time. (And please don't ignore the significance of the context in which it was originally published.)

Childress is best known for her award winning children’s books like A Hero Ain’t Nothing but a Sandwhich. This timely reissue includes a new forward placing these early, adult stories, originally serialized in Freedom, in context for today’s reader. The voice is Mildred, a domestic in 1950’s New York City, speaking to her friend Marge. Mildred says things like, “Don’t it give you the goose pimple when you realize that white people can kill us and get away with it?”