A Family Tree, Taking Root

by David doc Robertson

Although initially I felt a bit overwhelmed by the length of the book, by the end I felt as if I were losing members of my own family and longed for just one more page.Reviewed by Stacey Seay (see more below)Every generation thinks it knows more than the one before and refuses to heed suggested warnings. Brother and sister, Roman and Virginia, listen to their elders but still face tragic, heartbreaking but other times fulfilling experiences. Come back to the good old days of innocence in Los Angeles from the 1960s through the 90s.Roman didn't think to look behind him. If the little gang was going to do something, it would've been face to face. That was the ghetto code in 1963.Such was life in Watts and Willowbrook, during a time in L.A. when colored became black and folks grew tired of waiting for civil rights, promised over 100 years before. Yet they weren't perfect and sometimes felt disgraced in front of the older generation."I'd better stop callin you boy cause you need to start being a man. But I will tell you to yo face, what you been acting like is a lil' street nigga!" Virginia felt sorry for Roman and lowered her face to her grandmother's shoulder. She knew he hated that word but had to take it that time. Come back and watch a generation fight through troubled times and assume responsibility for its mistakes. They later take the place of the folks ahead of them and then face the frustration of being labeled out of date. "Ms Robason, thangs ain't like when you was in school." The girl turned to her friend. "Dey had the Slauson S' gang when Ms Robason was in school." She and her friend laughed.Relive history like you've never done it before. Rather than peeking through the fence at your neighbor's pool party, you'll be in the yard with your feet in the water and a slab of ribs on your plate, along with a heap of potato salad, some collards, an ear of sweet corn, dripping with butter, and you know there'll be a dish of peach cobbler with your name on it. The story also features the soundtrack of the times and will stir your own memories.I did you wrong, my heart went out to play…Join the Robinsons as they support one another through tumultuous yet glorious times. You are cordially invited into their humble home, where you will feel so comfortable, you won't want to leave.David doc Robertson has much experience as a writer after earning his BA in English from UCLA and an MA in Journalism from the University of Southern California. He has written fiction in addition to news and feature articles for the Los Angeles Times and other regional and national publications. He taught high school and college writing. He credits literary icon, Maya Angelou, for inspiring the diligence put into this work. In a past interview she said that easy reading is damned hard writing.

573 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2001

About the author

I am proud of my degrees and that I helped others achieve their dreams for so many years. As a high school basketball coach I was featured on NBC national news and had an overall record of 147 - 39. The thing that would make me most proud is to have at least one reader who is a fan of my writing.

The ambition to write started around the age of ten when I began to expand upon scary camp stories. James Bond inspired my first book Young Secret Agents in Action, 1967 (11 pages).

Going into my senior year at Crenshaw High, I experienced the worst day of my life when I suffered a spinal cord injury in a football team scrimmage and was paralyzed from the neck down. Confined to a wheelchair I started my new life.

While in the hospital I took the required class work and graduated on time. That fall I entered UCLA and earned a BA in English five years later and started to write professionally in different regional and national publications. Two years later I enrolled into the USC School of Journalism and earned an MA.

For the Los Angeles Times I wrote feature articles on a regular basis about the use of minorities and the disabled in the film industry. While continuing to write for the Times and other publications, I decided to re-direct my contribution to the community from behind the scenes and began teaching.

After a year in the classroom, I began the Wayland High series, based on events surrounding a close-knit group of teens in their last two years at a fictional school in West Los Angeles.

My writing became even more focused, as shown in A Family Tree, Taking Root, The Family Duran, and The Closure Clinic which is my first attempt in the paranormal genre. I try to follow the tenet of Maya Angelou who said in an interview that easy reading is damned hard writing.

Thanks for stopping by.

Reviews

[Michelle Purcell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Throughout the story the main characters, Virginia and Roman, want to better themselves to prevent a life in poverty as adults and despite their upbringing, they become role models for those in the same situation and really put into action a family tree, taking root.

I discovered this book in my Writing Class where I had the pleasure of being taught by the author. It is absolutely amazing. This book may seem long but once you begin to read it you won't want it to end. Also, a bond with the characters is established immediately and will continue even after the book has been finished. Insights on a wide variety of things are gained throughtout this story as well.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

It's been a while since a book caught my attention this way. I love everything from the storyline to the authors detailed way of writing. I'm from Los Angeles so I love a book that takes place in my city and perfectly and accurately describes everything and every street. I love all the characters! There's so much I want to say but I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Just get ready for a great book about a strong family who goes through real life issues.