JOURNEY TO THE CREST: (OF THE CRESCENT CITY)

The captivating story of a young, black male growing up in New Orleans, LA in the 80s and 90s. The author provides a vivid description of how he navigated the obstacles of being raised in a poor, single-parent household. In addition, he narrates how his mom found refuge within the Jehovah's Witness religion and how he had a sexual relationship with one of the Elders in his congregation when he was a minor. More light is shed on how this religion (and many organized religions) decided to discipline this leader. He paints a very vivid story of how low his life was during and after this period because of his struggle with accepting the fact that he is gay and the fact that his mother and no one close to him will accept this truth. After relocating from his hometown, he is faced with the horrible news of his mother's terminal illness and is challenged with caring for her with virtually no help from his family members. This story will have you take a deeper look at what faith and family means. It's a heartbreaking story that will leave you speechless at points, crying at others, and laughing in-between. It's also a beautiful story of how a young man with all of the odds stacked against him learned how to reconcile his faith/spirituality with who he is and how he learned to appreciate how blessed he is.