A Carpenter's Daughter: A Working-Class Woman in Higher Education

by Renny Christopher

A Carpenter’s Daughter is the story of the difficulties and rewards of the educational system for one who was not meant to go through it. The single most reliable predictor of whether someone will earn a BA is whether at least one of their parents has one-yet, today, there are an increasing number of first-generation college students.

Genres: Memoir

206 pages, Paperback

First published April 13, 2009

Reviews

[La'Tonya Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a mixed bag. Firstly, this is perhaps the most direct memoir about the first-generation experience that I have ever read. Christopher captures imposter syndrome particularly well, and by the time she gets to graduate school, I felt like I was reading pages out of my own journal. But on the other hand, there are times when I just want to smack her. Too much whining, moping and feeling sorry for one's self. The author really could benefit from some therapy to help her manage. I know Renny wouldn't agree and might accuse me of accepting bourgeois values but seriously! I feel like this is where race privilege comes in because I don't know many working-class or first-gen people of color (save Richard Rodriguez) who bellyache so much about their victimization because people have to just get up and go to work the next day. Nevertheless, I think this should be required reading for McNair Scholars.