Begonia Brown by Julia Press Simmons is a no-holds barred, drama-in-your face story about 17 year-old Begonia. Begonia faces family tragedy at a young age and her desire to take care of her family takes her to the streets. Though she has a love for art, she knows that in order to care for her sisters she must do all things to provide for them. Those things include lying, stealing and selling her very soul. Begonia becomes a street hustler. I was amazed at how far Begonia would go to take care of those she loved. It was also heart wrenching to read how torn she was by the street life and her home life.

Ms. Press-Simmons writes in an unaffected, straight from the gut style that keeps the reader caught up in the story. The language is raw and real, but, the story would not have had the same impact if different words had been used. The author also does not offer any fairytale ending to the story. She makes it as real as possible to the very end.

I recommend Begonia Brown: A Philadelphia Story to older teens and any reader who is interested in knowing exactly what is going on in the lives of young folks today.

Begonia Brown: A Philadelphia Story was provided by the author for review purposes only.

Angelia Vernon Menchan
APOOO BookClub

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