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Hard Questions, Heart Answers
Bernice King, the youngest daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., and his spiritual heir, looks into her heart for answers to the hard questions facing America today and calls upon readers of all races and denominations to follow her lead. 192 pp. Targeted print ads. $25,000 marketing. 40,000 print.
- GenresChristian Living
192 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1996
About the author
Bernice A. King
7 books5 followersBernice King is a pastor and the youngest child of the late Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King, Jr. She received her law degree and masters in divinity from Emory University.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 19, 2026
This was out of my comfort zone as a non-religious and definitely non-Christian person, and I know a lot of it wasn’t meant for me or intended to align with my values.
That being said, I’m on a Christianity kick and trying to educate myself given the state of homegrown antidisestablishmentarianism. The juxtaposition of reading this simultaneously with the Old Testament was a trip because it felt like going from point a to point z if point z was in a totally different language.
It certainly helped me appreciate how people leverage that text to more benign ends. For example, on page 105:
“I am convinced that if God had intended for women to be trampled upon, He would have taken a bone from the foot of man to make her. If He had intended her to always follow after man, He would have used a back bone, and if He had intended for her to be kicked around, He would have used a knee bone. But God intended for women to be companions of men, and so He made her of a rib bone, from the side of man, so that she would hold his hand along life’s journey.”
I read that part of Genesis myself recently and only focused on the derivative nature of Eve’s creation from Adam’s flesh, but didn’t appreciate the potential interpretation of symbolic equality.
I picked up my copy from a used bookstore and it has a written and signed dedication by Reverend Bernice King from 1997, which I thought was cool.
But echoing Sophie’s recent review, I also wish I had experienced this in audiobook format since it is a collection of sermons and speeches; I suspect some of the power and cadence was lost on the page.
That being said, I’m on a Christianity kick and trying to educate myself given the state of homegrown antidisestablishmentarianism. The juxtaposition of reading this simultaneously with the Old Testament was a trip because it felt like going from point a to point z if point z was in a totally different language.
It certainly helped me appreciate how people leverage that text to more benign ends. For example, on page 105:
“I am convinced that if God had intended for women to be trampled upon, He would have taken a bone from the foot of man to make her. If He had intended her to always follow after man, He would have used a back bone, and if He had intended for her to be kicked around, He would have used a knee bone. But God intended for women to be companions of men, and so He made her of a rib bone, from the side of man, so that she would hold his hand along life’s journey.”
I read that part of Genesis myself recently and only focused on the derivative nature of Eve’s creation from Adam’s flesh, but didn’t appreciate the potential interpretation of symbolic equality.
I picked up my copy from a used bookstore and it has a written and signed dedication by Reverend Bernice King from 1997, which I thought was cool.
But echoing Sophie’s recent review, I also wish I had experienced this in audiobook format since it is a collection of sermons and speeches; I suspect some of the power and cadence was lost on the page.
January 19, 2024
A collection of speeches and essays by Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter. There are some good moments. The first chapter especially really echo's King's cadence and style. But it also shows its age. A couple chapters harp on the issue of violence in TV shows and movies, which felt beyond dated.
June 20, 2008
Not my typical reading but one a picked up on a whim after seeing Bernice King on Oprah. A great reminder of the value of all people and inspired me to be a better person.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews