Title: Sister Gumbo

Author:  Urusula Kindred &

Mirranda Guerin Williams

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Release Date:  August 2004

Reviewer: Idrissa Uqdah

PeoplewholoveGoodBooks

Real-life sisters Ursula Kindred and Mirranda Guerin –Williams from Baton Rouge have put together a delightful potpourri of vignettes from Black women on a number of topics including life, sex, relationships, marriage, dating and friendship.  The women they interviewed spoke candidly about motherhood, aging, and affairs. Self-image, spirituality in orderly well-arranged chapters.  I just wish that they had asked specific questions or asked for more details in the little short stories that the women tell. 

I enjoyed the stories and learned a lot about life in general.  I also

Learned what my sisters are thinking and how they are living their lives. 

I could easily relate to many of the stories and saw myself in these

Woman more than I’d care to admit.  The book was a real delight though.

An added bonus were the Southern/Louisiana-style recipes that were

Sprinkled between the chapters.

The mix of women was a broad spectrum of African American women today

With several generations of women represented.  They had varied

Personalities; interests and gifts.    The authors allowed them to speak

Randomly about the topic.  The women were candid and outspoken about

 Telling their stories. The authors call this the Gumbo of our lives and

That our individual experiences enables each of us to create our

Very own personalized gumbo.

Sister Gumbo could be considered a women’s self-help book but I would

Like to categorize it as a book of women’s stories.  I must admit; it took

 Awhile for me to finish this book I would put it down from time to time

And read the stories while reading other books.  But I always came

Back to it and the stories refreshed my spirit on a not-so-good-day.

I think it was a project well done and I’d rate this book a four because

The authors accomplished what they set out to do in this book and it was done well.

I am looking forward to their next book, Mister Gumbo.  The sisters

Can be found on the web at www.SisterGumbo.com