ABANDONED. African American woman is hated and abused by family

[Amyrah]

I believe I read this book between 1998 and 2004.

The protagonist is an African American woman. She lives with a family that hates her and treats her badly. She is abused. At one time she (maybe ran away) is in a mobile home filled with large flying, biting roaches. She also pays the taxes on a house for several years with the hope of owning but the family stops letting her pay them just short of homeownership. I believe she also took care of the abuser when he got old and none of his other children would, but he still hated her and didn't leave her the house when he died.

I think her skin color was an issue as well. Maybe she was very dark or the old man was.

I think maybe the title was the main character's name, but I'm not sure.

[Erin]

I don't even know why I'm suggesting this, it only meets half of your description, but it reminded me of The Darkest Child by Delores Phillips. Although it's her mother that does most of the abusing, and she doesn't get old enough in the story to pay the taxes....but at least this will bump up your search.

Good luck!

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Amyrah, I'm not clear on whether the family that abuses her is her own family, or another family? Are they African-American too? Any idea where it is set? Large flying roaches suggests the deep South. When you read the book, did it seem newly published, or old?

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Sent the OP a PM. If she doesn't answer, the next Mod to read this can move it to Abandoned She hasn't been active since January in GR.