Sonja Livingston grew up in poverty around Western New York during the 1970’s and 80’s. Her family lived in downtown Rochester, Albion, and the Tonawanda Reservation. While her experiences are unique, there are many who grew up in similar situations and still face the same issues. In this moving and passionate memoir, Sonja reflects on growing up in poverty in Rochester, having a single parent household with many mouths to feed and how community helped to support and hinder her growth all at once.
As someone who lives in and near the location of this story, I was really interested in Sonja’s experience growing up in the same neighborhood. Unfortunately, not much has changed in the neighborhoods that she had grown up in; however, I do believe that there is much more opportunity for people in the inner city, especially young people. Sonja tells her story very matter-of-factly and from a child’s perspective. I loved to see Sonja’s grit and determination to overcome- even if she didn’t realize that was what she was doing. Sonja’s stories range from humorous to heartbreaking, but always with the theme of marching forward. I was very intrigued by her views of her mother and the absence of her father as well as her sibling’s fathers, so much so that father became an abstract term. The community feeling in each setting that Sonja lived in was also interesting to me, how streets and Church became close knit lifelines. While Sonja’s life was harsh, she fought to overcome and was able to get out of the cycle that she seemed to be destined for.
As someone who lives in and near the location of this story, I was really interested in Sonja’s experience growing up in the same neighborhood. Unfortunately, not much has changed in the neighborhoods that she had grown up in; however, I do believe that there is much more opportunity for people in the inner city, especially young people. Sonja tells her story very matter-of-factly and from a child’s perspective. I loved to see Sonja’s grit and determination to overcome- even if she didn’t realize that was what she was doing. Sonja’s stories range from humorous to heartbreaking, but always with the theme of marching forward. I was very intrigued by her views of her mother and the absence of her father as well as her sibling’s fathers, so much so that father became an abstract term. The community feeling in each setting that Sonja lived in was also interesting to me, how streets and Church became close knit lifelines. While Sonja’s life was harsh, she fought to overcome and was able to get out of the cycle that she seemed to be destined for.
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