I'm Down by Mishna Wolff
The Moment: You're questioning your cred
;)
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I'm Down
by Mishna Wolff
In the very first sentence of her poignant and often uproarious memoir, Mishna Wolff declares that she is white. "My parents, both white," she writes. Wolff establishes this fact — repeatedly — because her father, a white man, truly believes he is black. "He strutted around with a short perm, a Cosby-esque sweater, gold chains and a Kangol." I'm Down recounts the author's efforts to "integrate" in a mostly black neighborhood by overcoming her lack of rhythm, braiding her hair in cornrows and attending Baptist church.
Mishna's perceptive voice — not to mention her impeccable comic timing — developed when she went to an all-black community summer camp and learned how to cap on other kids. Doing the dozens gave her a defense mechanism for coping with a miserable home life where meals and money were scarce. It also helped her develop a thick skin for dealing with being in the minority. Her observations about her family and herself are achingly funny and painfully true.
But what makes this preteen coming-of-age story so disarming is Wolff's anxiety. She is ashamed and embarrassed by her dad, who is better at daddying weed than parenting. She struggles to transform from a shy, smart tomboy into a sophisticated young lady. And her "uppity" attitude gets her in trouble with dad's new black wife. As Mishna finds strength playing basketball and swimming competitively, she still makes concessions to please her dad and make him happy.
While the first half of I'm Down is sidesplitting, the book gets more serious — and more sour — when dad remarries. Suffice it to say, Mishna copes poorly with her mercurial stepmom and caring for her stepsiblings. Nevertheless, it's hard not to feel moved when Mishna finally accepts who she is. As her dad tells her, "You be you."
St. Martin's, 288 pages, $23.95, May 26
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