Customer Reviews

A Suitcase Full of Dreams : The Untold True Story of a Woman Who Dared to Dream!

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This book was a historical view of how an african american mother had lots of dreams for her own life, but gave all her dreams up for the nurturing of her daughters. She helped them to achieve their dreams and out of six daughters 2 became M.D.'s 1 became an attorney with a Juris Doctrate, 1 a dentist, 1 a court stenographer. and 1 nurse. In reading this book it helped me to realize that I too have dreams that I need to take out of my suitcase. Excellent reading.

A Suitcase full of dreams remained, for the most part, unpacked during Itasker Thornton's lifetime.

I did read DitchDigger's Daughter by one of the Thornton sisters.
I liked it, was inspired and yet I knew there was more to the story.

Learning about the other sisters was illuminating. However, understanding the mother's role in their lives added a lot to my understanding of one black family's successful pursuit of higher education and professions of note.

And the excitement is palpable as you travel vicariously with the family when they compete at the Apollo in New York City.

My heart was heavy when I read the chapter "A spirit broken etc.". Itasker, the mom, raised successful daughters ,overcame many challenges and was very talented. Yet she felt her life had little meaning.

I suspect Itasker did not feel loved enough by her children because she did sufficiently love herself.

My whole life is about service and as I approach the third chapter of my life, reading about Itasker's life caused me to think again.

Will I have similar regrets??? I recommend that women of service read this and that men who think that they can 'make' it happen in their children's lives, reflect on the effect Donald had on his wife and children. Could he have done it another way with the same effect. You have to decide.

It is a good read for thinking people who want to challenge their beliefs about what makes a 'perfect family'.

The story has been told before in a Pulitzer Prize nominated book entitled, "The Ditchdigger's Daughters" which was made into a Cable TV movie. The writing style is simplistic and rambling with no direction. It's a great story, but it was written better by her sister, Yvonne.