Debra Dickerson's parents were share-croppers who migrated north after World War II. Born in 1959, Dickerson is an amalgam of her background -- rural southern conservative and midwestern liberal -- and at the same time a contemporary woman whose life has been shaped by the hardscrabble determination of her heritage.

In this book Dickerson bears brilliant witness to her rich, tumultuous life: the crippling self-doubt of her adolescence and her belief in education as a way out; her transformation in the U.S. Air Force into a distinguished intelligence officer; her years at Harvard Law School and metamorphosis into a "neurotic attorney with a Gold Card"; and, finally, her current position as a journalist in demand for her refreshing and controversially sane views on social issues.

With sharp intelligence and fierce wit, Dickerson shows us how she became what she is today -- an iconoclastic American who transcends traditional notions of race and class.

"Shockingly, honestly, angrily, tenderly, Debra J. Dickerson is on a journey to consciousness. Dickerson does much more than tell a difficult story simply and potently. She analyzes [her life] with the ferociousness of her intellect and the humility of her heart. It is women like [Dickerson] who will set us free."
   MS MAGAZINE

"Dickerson's memoir is a remarkable document that illuminates brightly features of American society that many people would just as soon ignore, if not hide. Her honesty will get her into trouble. Her insight will win her a broad audience."...