Things I Should Have Told My Daughter
Lies, Lessons & Love Affairs

Quotes

“Here’s the thing about this book: it will make you braver, you’ll want to live your life better and make a difference, you’ll become more forgiving. My copy is all underlined and dog-eared and I’ll probably read it two more times…at least.” Jane Fonda

“A journal is the perfect place to watch one’s self grow. Pearl Cleage’s changes are many in this gift of record-keeping during the early, middle, and (a few glimpses at what may be) the later years of her life. The honesty and humor, insight, and determination to show up authentically is pure Cleage.” Alice Walker

“Pearl’s courageous, candid recollections of the ups and downs of her life remind us of our human nature, at times, to doubt and judge ourselves too harshly. Her wit and authenticity allows us to look at our own lives with a bit of levity, compassion, and freedom.” Valerie Jackson, radio host and philanthropist

“An enjoyable, nonstop read. Familiar and profound. Pearl’s memories feel like my own. Her lies, lessons, and love affairs wash over me like water, sage, and lavender. She makes me feel at home in her life.” Jasmine Guy, actress

“Cleage’s extraordinary experiences, deep social concerns, passionate self-analysis, and personal and artistic liberation, all so openly confided, make for a highly charged, redefining read.” Booklist (starred review)

“A sampling of playwright and novelist Cleage’s journal entries over twenty years, from 1970 to 1990, as a young journalist, feminist, civil rights activist, wife, and mother delineates a long, difficult journey toward self-realization…By turns frank, and wide-eyed, Cleage’s entries reflect a fulsome, tender spirit, hungry for authentic experience, eager for love.” Publishers Weekly

“There’s an urgency to Pearl Cleage’s narration—as if her life depends on every word she shares from her journals of the 1970s and ’80s. Speaking rhythmically, passionately, she says exactly what’s on her mind and soulfully talks to listeners as if they’re good friends. She’s colorful with her language and candid in tone…Poetically employing repetition, Cleage emphasizes the joys and frustrations of life and of coming into her own womanhood.” AudioFile

“Cleage’s observations explode with joy, anxiety, anger, and, of course, honesty; her style is breezy and casual but the content is complex. Her fans will embrace this work, and all readers interested in women’s memoirs, especially those focused on the struggle against racism and sexism, will be moved by this title.” Library Journal

“The great virtue of this seemingly unedited journal is that it gives a vivid sense of a real life’s varied nature…A warts-and-all self-portrait rendered in juicy, robust prose.” Kirkus Reviews

“[Things I Should Have Told My Daughter] shows an intelligent, resilient, remarkable woman bearing witness to the sometimes insane world of politics, to friendships, love, and American culture. Her reflections often made me laugh out loud. Cleage’s journals are spellbinding!” Deborah Santana, author of Space between the Stars