Sherry has struggled all her life to understand who she is, where she comes from, and, most importantly, why her mother slapped her cheek one summer afternoon. The incident has haunted Sherry, and it causes her to dig into her family?s past. Like many family histories, it is fractured and stubbornly reluctant to reveal its secrets; but Sherry is determined to know the full story. In just a few days? time her extended family will gather for a reunion, and Sherry sets off across the country with her mother, Dumpling, to join them. What Sherry and Dumpling find on their trip is far more important than a scenic site here and there? it is the assorted pieces of their family?s past. Pulled together, they reveal a history of amazing survival and abundant joy. Praise for the novels of Bernice L. McFadden: Terry McMillian on Sugar ?One of the most compelling and thought-provoking novels I?ve read in years.? Toni Morrison on The Warmest December ?Riveting . . . I am as impressed by its structural strength as by the searing and expertly imagined scenes.? People magazine on This Bitter Earth ?McFadden?s sensuous prose and folk wisdom conjure a memorable character with complexity and grace.?