Rising [Paperback]

Darnella Ford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2, 2003

She should have been able to trust him....

“Night sweats were my dance, especially in the Huston home. They were a continuation of the visions I had experienced in Dorchester, only here, they were much more violent.”

Set in a wealthy community in northern Michigan, Rising tells the story of nine-year-old Symone, who is adopted by the Hustons—“a shameless family with a house at the top of the hill”--after her mother dies of a drug overdose. And though Symone is all too happy to leave the Dorchester projects behind, she can’t help but wonder why this rich white couple has come to the ghetto to adopt “a black girl who looked white.” Soon Symone discovers that the Hustons aren’t saviors but instead demons who have delivered her into another kind of hell. She escapes only to return again years later, realizing that she must face the demons of her past if she has any hope of surviving the future.

Rising is an evocative, undeniably potent, and completely unforgettable novel.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An eight-year-old girl from the Boston projects is adopted by a wealthy white Michigan family in this luridly imaginative but frequently ludicrous rags-to-riches debut. On the eve of her ninth birthday, Symone awakens to discover the cold dead body of her mother. The beautiful Dolores, a suicidal prostitute, has lost her battle with heroin and alcohol, and has taken to her grave the secret of Symone's father's identity. Living in the projects, Symone has developed advanced survival skills, nourishing herself on "toasted bread for breakfast, plain bread for lunch, and cheese bread for dinner" and making pets of two rats (white Honkee Honkee and black Niggah Niggah). Her problems are exacerbated by a particularly fierce identity crisis-she is a "bisexual, biracial, blonde-haired, blue-eyed niggah white girl" trying to pass for black among her project playmates. The racial question fades to the background when she is adopted by Ridge and Madeline Huston, who whisk her away to their mansion in suburban Eden, Mich. Perfect as it may seem on the surface, Huston family life is rotten to the core. A Thanksgiving trip back to Eden when Symone is in her 20s brings back bitter memories and launches Symone and her two Huston sisters on a half-baked quest for revenge. Garbled prose ("who will take to task to count the number of times he extracted her virginity?") and melodrama ("I had stepped over the brain matter of a guy whose head had just been blown off") diminishes the effect of some witty passages ("Dolores came from a family of dirt-poor niggers... and moved to the land of opportunity, the Dorchester projects"). Ford is clearly talented, but this novel rarely bounces back to earth, so far is it over the top.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Ford's first novel revolves around nine-year-old Symone, who is adopted by a mysterious, rich, white couple after her mother dies of a drug overdose. What follows is a tale of betrayal as the family puts the young girl through hell.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition edition (January 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312303068
• ISBN-13: 978-0312303068
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,093,069 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The long journey back to innocence. A Survivor's tribute., April 6, 2003

By 

SHERRI BELANGER (NEW BEDFORD, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rising (Paperback)

In "Rising" Darnella ford masterfully weaves enthralling prose, tumultuous story, and dark psychology into a most tangible piece of artwork. The 3-dimensional aspect of her tale allows the reader to not only "be" in the moment with the leading character, Symone, but also permits the reader to "feel" their way through the journey of survival alongside her as well. The more gentle reader may find this re-hashing effect to be too shocking, but victims of abuse (as well as readers who wish to learn more about the experiences of childhood trauma)will certainly find a safe haven to explore their pasts and continue the path towards healing. Although the story is entertaining in its vivid imagery, skillful detail, and sincere meaning, let us not forget the focus of the piece. It is an acknowledgement and tribute to the "survivor". An embracing of the resilient child within us all. A most memorable and engaging read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW -- AMAZING STORY!!!!, March 26, 2001

By 

TJ "TishaJ" (Wappingers Falls, New York) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rising (Paperback)

Darnella Ford's story about a woman dealing with sexual abuse and other heavy issues, is outstanding. This book will have the reader's complete attention until the very last page. While dealing with very heavy subjects, Ford adds humor and wit and the reader develops a general liking of the main character, Symone. Thanks for the awesome tale, Ms. Ford, and I look forward to your next venture!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Deeper Level of Writing... a page turner!, January 30, 2003

By 

"kbrantley02" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rising (Paperback)

Darnella Ford's book "Rising" was far and beyond what I thought the book could be when I bought it. It took me 4 days to read. This book was a page turner because the thoughts and storyline was believable, and it put you into the scenes and moods of the book. Darnella is a wonderful writer, I can personally relate to the emotion in this book in many different ways. I can clearly see the people, the places and actually feel like I was there. Simone was a very strong character in this book yet so volunerable. She reflected the struggle of many children today, dealing with big things as little people. With those things they become big people with even bigger problems. But "dealing with the problems" and "dealing with the issue that you have problems" are two different levels, something Darnella expressed wonderfully. I gave this book 5 stars because; one: characters, two: storyline, three: experiences, four: life lessons and five: brillant writing style. She deserves all five stars! I can't wait until "Crave" comes in 2004. This is a wonderful book to start such a bright career. It was definitely a deeper level of writing. Lastly, I sum up "Rising" in three words A PAGE TURNER. Please read!