Take My Hand
Reviewed by Mel on 2023-12-02
An incredible read by Dolen Perkins Valdez. Inspired by historical events, Take My Hand is the story of Civil Townsend, a young black nurse sent to the home of two impoverished black girls to administer birth control injections. When she realizes that these Williams girls are 11 and 14 and are not sexually active, she starts asking questions. She discovers the horrifying truth of how the American government is forcing sterilization on poor black women and young girls in Alabama. Told from two timelines, now-retired adult Civil tells the story of the William girls to her own daughter. A story full of emotions, regret, hope, and sadness for what once was and what could have been.
Bottom line, I would recommend this book.