Customer Reviews

Sugar's Life in the Hood: The Story of a Former Welfare Mother

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I am a middle class white woman who lived all her life in predominantly white neighborhoods until 7 months ago, when I moved onto an ethnically diverse, upscale block in the middle of the hood. This book, SUGAR'S LIFE IN THE HOOD, confirmed what my experiences here had been teaching me: that black culture, in some ways, resembles the stereotypes with which I had been raised, but in many other ways, is totally different. The multidimensionality of Sugar Turner defies stereotypes. I am humbled and inspired by her ingenuity, honesty, persistence, kind-heartedness, and faith.

"Who am I & why am I?" these questions and more were always disrupting Sugar's thoughts, until one day Tracy Bachrach Ehlers gave Sugar the opportunity of getting answers, by writing her story. Throughout the journey of Sugar & Tracy you will find many different reasons Sugar wanted her story told. The one reason I feel held true page after page is "Don't give up, God can change anybody.

Two women from opposite lifestyles come together to cleanse one, but ironically they both receive the greatest bath of their lives. Sugar Turner is a hustler, hooker and welfare mother. Amongst her negatives, I found her to have an angelic and smart voice. Ehlers, the author of Sugar's Life in the Hood is a cultural anthropologist and has done an excellent job of showing the social structure of Sugar's world. Sugar's story chronicled how she came from hustling, prostitution and welfare to enrolling in college, being apart of an entrepreneur program and forward to a paying job.

The author did an excellent job of painting pictures from Sugar and Ehler's world. I felt like Sugar was my friend and I rooted for her throughout the book. The author and Sugar shared in the telling of this story, because they worked so well together the book was more showing then telling and narration. Everyone should read Sugar's story whether you are gainfully employed or seeking employment or need help out of a situation.

Missy
APOOO BookClub