I Said a Prayer (Paperback)

~ Mark Xandrine Sneed (Author)
Key Phrases: august king, greatest show, eight year old thought, Hank Green, Theresa Green, Woody Green (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

I SAID A PRAYER is the story of a young African-American woman’s battle with her own demons and her experience in the South and in the North. I SAID A PRAYER is also the inspirational journey of a single mother’s life and the young woman's direction and rededication to her love as her precocious child tries to understand his seemingly unfathomable differences at eight. It is a tale of modern life.

About the Author

MARK XANDRINE SNEED—Born in the South, in a segregated hospital, raised in the North, he has straddled the fence of racism for as long as he has lived. Writer, teacher, journalist, advocate, political satirist and pundit, devoted son, loving husband and father is finally the author of his first novel. He majored in English Literature and Mass Communications at the University of California, at Berkeley, following graduation he went to Los Angeles to teach. The author currently teaches high school English in Oakland, California. He continues to write and has written short stories, articles, reviews and criticisms for a number of magazines, newspapers, e-zines, and weekly publications.

Product Details

• Paperback: 166 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (August 22, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595409237
• ISBN-13: 978-0595409235
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,341,100 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kudos for first attempt, September 9, 2006

By	M2daARK "XYZ" (Bay Area, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This is an interesting first attempt by the author. It is filled with some notable characters.

The novel begins with the internal struggles of the African American single mother in the South and her desire to break the cycle of dependency on men, in general. With the birth of her third child, the main character of the novel, the young mother and father move North to Chicago with hopes and dreams of a better life. In Chicago the young mother and father separate and all the things that she seemed to be running away from appear in the city. This single mother is left to fend for herself and her son. The remainder of the book revolves around the relationship and love that the precocious son and his mother have for each other and how that love and relationship keeps them afloat.

The story is gripping at times. There are truly lessons for everyone here. I might have thought that this book was only for single mothers or African American readers but there are universal themes that everyone can relate to. It is a good read.