Black Child to Black Woman is the account of a young woman who comes back to her parents’ house for her brother’s funeral. Tara Walker is the main character and when home, she finds her diary back which she started as a child. She decides to read it and it takes her back through her difficult and often traumatic childhood. Her brothers use drugs, there is violence around her and her parents argue a lot but there is a lot of love and stability coming from her parents.

Cheryl Denise Bannerman, the author, takes us through Tara’s life, going beyond the diary a little as she ends the book with Tara telling us her life lessons and how she has kept smiling through it all. It’s difficult to cover so much of a person’s life and I liked how the writing style changed with Tara’s age.

Black Child to Black Woman shows the struggles a smart young girl went through to build a life she enjoys. It has a wonderful, bright coloured cover which is very attractive. I felt the book focused mainly on Tara’s bedroom life, which disappointed me as the blurb promised so much more than that. I would have enjoyed getting to know Tara more and how she interacted with people around her or how she managed to keep smiling. I can see how that would be difficult through using a diary, so it’s just my personal wish, I suppose.

Black Child to Black Woman isn’t a difficult read and it’s an interesting read about mental health and setting boundaries in later life when someone has had a difficult childhood.

I received a review copy via Love Books Tours but was under no pressure or obligation to write a favourable review. This book is definitely 18+.