Genesis Begins Again by Alicia Williams

This coming of age story is one that feels all too real. It highlights the fact that racism, leading to a preoccupation with skin tone is still very much alive- even from one person of color to another. From a young age, thirteen-year-old Genesis has been told that she’s “too black” and that everyone wishes she looked like her light-skinned mother. The saddest part is that she hears these words all too often from her father: her alcoholic, gambling, dark-skinned father. In order to please her father  Genesis follows any method to try to lighten her skin- rubbing lemons on her flesh, lathering herself in yogurt, and even taking a bath in bleach, even after her mother shares with Genesis her own experience of being excluded for being "not black enough". However, Genesis soon discovers that her skin isn’t the problem and that perhaps if she just understands the real issues, a change in her perspective could be the solution that everyone has been looking for.
The characters in this book are well written personalities that are unique from each other and the reader gets a chance to get to know their backgrounds which makes them very believable and three dimensional. The experience of getting immersed in another family's culture reminds me of my own growing up experiences that shaped my adult self.  A very good story that resonates right now.