Born In Sin [Hardcover]

Evelyn Coleman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2001

"Come on Betty...Can't nobody stop us from winning, 'cause we fish," Keisha whispers fiercely to her friend. "I want you to swim. Come on...You and me, the first black girls going to the Olympics. Remember?"

For Betty, winning now means swimming upward from the depths of near-death. In the cold hum of the hospital, only Keisha can remember their dreams from earlier that summer, when she was to attend a premed vacation school at nearby Avery University. She had the grades for it. And her mama was determined to make it happen, no matter what. Keisha dreamed of being a doctor. Betty dreamed desperately of having a friend.

They were both at risk -- at least that's the label Keisha gets slapped with when, instead of to Avery, she is sent to a high-minded, white-hearted urban rescue program for teens in poverty, or, as she figures it, born in sin. She is outraged to be thrown together with Clarissa, Phyllis, and Kimberly, but turns anger to something just as powerful -- the will to prove her doubters wrong. For this she has friends beyond the family she knows -- one ally especially. Plus Malik, Betty's watchful brother, who wants beauty to be there for everyone. Like the sky.

Born in Sin, which Keisha tells with straight-forward, often funny frankness, is part gritty drama, part victory lap, and all heart.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Author Evelyn Coleman, best known for writing children's books and adult thrillers, takes on teen fiction with Born in Sin. Living in a housing project with drug dealers as neighbors, 14-year-old Keisha is determined not to let her future be dictated by her meager circumstances. A straight-A student, she confidently applies for an advanced placement summer program. But her dream is derailed when school administrators decide that instead of following the college track, Keisha should attend a summer program for at-risk teens. Infuriated, Keisha refuses to go along at first, (in a memorable opening scene, she snatches the wig off the head of the offending principal) but then, through that program, she discovers a natural aptitude for swimming. Encouraged by a kindly coach, she begins to train for the Olympics. But family problems and a nearly fatal quarrel with a local drug lord coincide to undermine her confidence again. Will Keisha ever be able to overcome the "sin of poverty" and become the winner she knows she is inside?

Despite some politically correct, almost caricatured characters, (the white lawyer in charge of the program informs Keisha's mother with utmost sincerity, "I am aware of the idea that because your roots are in Africa, you may not see time in a linear fashion as we do"), Keisha is an engaging, bighearted heroine who teens will cheer for. This novel is a good suggestion for those older adolescent readers who have enjoyed E.R. Frank's Life is Funny and Virginia Euwer Wolff's True Believer. (Ages 13 and older) --Jennifer Hubert

From Publishers Weekly

Keisha, a 14-year-old growing up in Georgia, narrates the events of a pivotal summer in Coleman's (White Socks Only) inspiring novel. When her high school guidance counselor thwarts her efforts to get into Avery's fast-track pre-med program and instead places Keisha in a summer program for at-risk kids, Keisha erupts in a rage (" `You know what, Ms. Hill. Ain't the hospital just a few blocks away? I ain't the one at risk. You are.' And I leaped over the desk to get to her"). The author carefully finesses Keisha's complex emotions as she attempts to be true to herself and to navigate the obstructions in her path. It is Keisha's strong narrative voice, combined with some striking characters and relationships, that keeps her story afloat, despite some far-fetched and serpentine plot developments. Through this summer at-risk program, Keisha learns to deal with her own racial prejudice, makes her first real friends and discovers that she has a natural talent for swimming. Readers may find that Keisha's acceleration from non-swimmer to Olympic hopeful stretches credibility. And the two-dimensional portrayal of the white leaders of the at-risk program (they speak in sports metaphors, for instance) detracts from the more penetrating, insidious examples of racism (such as the conversation between Miss Troutman, the head of the program, and Keisha's mother) elsewhere in the novel. But the authentic interactions here far outweigh the missteps. The relationships among the women form the core of the novel: tender bedtime conversations between Keisha and her older sister, many touching scenes between Keisha and her mother, and the heroine's recollections of her grandmother ("As long as there's stars in the sky we gonna be all right. My grandma taught me that before she died and I believe her"). Keisha's rise to the top will keep readers enthralled. Ages 14-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books; 1st edition (March 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689838336
• ISBN-13: 978-0689838330
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,506,502 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DREAMS ARE OUR FUTURE, DONT LET YOURS DIE, September 17, 2001

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Born In Sin (Hardcover)

I chose to read Born in Sin, because of the title. I like drama and assumed the pages would be overflowing with it. Instead of drama Evelyn Coleman takes us on an emotional sometimes-witty rollercoast ride with Keisha Wright and her friends at a program called At-Risk Kids. At Risk is for poor teens Born in Sin as Keisha puts it. Keisha aspired to attend Avery University and become the families' first doctor. When she receives her letter of acceptance, she quickly realizes that she doesn't have the money needed to attend. Keisha doesn't believe her mom can get the deposit for school and in her 14-yr. old mind she doesn't want to make her mom feel bad so she tries to hide the letter.

Betty Shabazz is also an At Risk kid. To get away from her drug addict mom and alcoholic stepfather she befriends Keisha, taking up for her whenever she's around. The first activity the kids learn is how to swim, while in the water Betty goes out much too far, and has a near fatal accident. At that moment Keisha decides she is going to learn to swim. `Cause the next black person I saw drowning, I wanted to be able to save'em myself". Betty craves for attention and love and she goes looking for it in all the wrong places. Again she is at the depths of near death. Keisha and Betty learn how to swim, they are very good at it, so much so they believe they are going to the Olympics, with the help of the team coach, Mr. Walt.

With so much turmoil and disappointments in her life, and Betty no longer able to swim, Keisha decides that dreaming and believing isn't for black kids. After joining the swim team and making it as one of the anointed ones she gives up, until she receives a letter from Malik Shabazz, Betty's brother. Giving Keisha what she needs to go on, inspiration and romantic hope.

This book is for anyone and everyone who has a dream or simply had one and lost it. Keisha and her At Risk friends will show you that dreams come in all sizes.
Evelyn Coleman is a wonderful storyteller. The voice of Keisha was one I will always carry around with me.

Reviewed by Missy

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Born In Sin, May 4, 2003

By 

Karen Findlay (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Born In Sin (Hardcover)

Fifteen-year-old Keisha lives with her mother, seventeen year old sister Rhenda, Rhenda's two year old baby, and Punky her brother. They don't have much money but they love each other and work hard to survive under their near poverty conditions. Keisha does well at school and wants very much to become a doctor. In fact with the help of her Biology teacher she has applied to nearby Avery University for a scholarship in their premed summer program. Unbeknownst to her, Ms. Hill the counselor at school has changed Keisha's curriculum track from college prep to general which disqualifies her for the premed program. When Keisha finds out she looses her temper and makes a dive for Ms. Hill's wig, pulling it off and creating a scene in the office. Once everything settles down it is decided that Keisha will attend a daily summer camp for "at risk" kids. Keisha never forgets her dream of attending Avery over the summer, but soon finds that she will have to postpone her plans until the fall if she can just come up with the money. Her mother says not to worry they will manage some how. Meanwhile, Keisha learns how to swim and soon discovers that she is a natural who wins every race. The local swim coach persuades Keisha and her friend Betty to join the team and gives them hope for the Olympics. This is a wonderful story that rings true with every word. It's the sort of book that you can't put down because the characters are so real and you want to find out what's going to happen to them.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reaching Your Dreams, July 29, 2001

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Born In Sin (Hardcover)

If you are ready to read an emotional, spiritual, thought-provoking coming of age novel of a young girl's struggle and turmoil in striving to reach her dreams, welcome to Born In Sin by Evelyn Coleman. You will not be disappointed in the depth and strong story line crafted by Ms. Coleman. This is a must read for everyone.

Keisha Wright is a fourteen-year-old girl who is streetwise and smart in school. Her long-standing dream is to one day become a doctor. To help fulfill that dream, she anxiously awaits news of her acceptance into the high school program at Avery University. While at school, Keisha is called to the principal's office along with other students and is told she is being assigned to a program for "at-risk" children for the summer. Not only is she told she is "at-risk" but is also told that she is being removed from the college prep course program where she has been getting excellent grades. This alone sets the stage of a very revealing story of how the education community and society itself stereotypes our youth.

While attending the "at-risk" program with persistence from her mother, Keisha meets and becomes best friends with Betty Shabazz and soon develops a crush on her brother, Malik. Betty and Malik both have to struggle daily with a drug addict mother and alcoholic father. Becoming friends with Keisha helps Betty to stay away from home as much as possible and from her parents environment.

After a beach incident, where Betty almost drowns when the lifeguard decides to take his time to rescue her; and Betty's brother Malik beats the lifeguard and is almost taken to jail, both Betty and Keisha decides it time to learn how to swim. What they soon realize is that they both have a talent in swimming and are asked to join a local community swim team. They excel in swimming to the point of being considered Olympic hopefuls.

In the meantime, the lure of the streets and material things take Betty to near disastrous results. While fighting that same lure, Keisha refuses to allow an opportunity to attend Avery University high school program pass her by, so she applies on her own and is accepted. However, because she was removed from the college prep program at school, she now must pay for the program herself. Keisha's mother takes it upon herself to earn the money anyway she can, keeping what she is doing from her family. When Keisha and the

rest of the family speculates on what their mother may be doing to earn the money, she follows her one night and is nearly raped. Still not knowing what her mother is doing to earn the money for her to attend Avery University, she becomes totally distraught to the point that she feels she must indeed been "born in sin".

Keisha, Betty, and Malik along with other strong developed characters in Ms. Coleman's novel is scripted to a point that every person jumps out at you with their own personal drama and real emotions. She draws you into relating and becoming truly absorbed in what Keisha, Betty, Malik and others must endure to reach their dreams.

As stated briefly in the beginning, Ms. Coleman's novel takes you through several emotions from laughing, sad, upset, angry, crying and finally cheers. I personally experience them all. It is a wonderful story where you will definitely close the book learning something very deep and relative to real situations and circumstances facing our youth today. You will truly enjoy the ending. I applaud Ms. Coleman on a well-written book and highly recommend everyone read Born in Sin. I give it a rating of 5.

Reviewed by Kalaani