| A Wealth of Family | | | | told that he was "acting white" by his black peers. |
| | | | Brooks was the first in his family to attend college. |
| Alpha Multimedia, Inc. (2006) | | | | This was a whole new learning experience for him. He |
| ISBN 0977462935 | | | | had to deal with the paradox of trying to show |
| Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (6/06) | | | | everyone that black people can excel at everything |
| "A Wealth of Family" has something to be enjoyed | | | | and then being accused of being boastful and |
| or learned by people from all walks of life, no matter | | | | arrogant when he would succeed. |
| what your gender, socio-economic background or | | | | After Brooks completed his education, he was |
| culture. This is a fantastic book. It centers on Brooks | | | | contacted by his birth mother. Through her, he is able |
| upbringing as an adopted black men who wanted to | | | | to meet his siblings in England and contact his father's |
| find his roots. I found it difficult to write this review | | | | family in Kenya. After a great deal of effort, he is |
| because his story touched me in so many ways, it | | | | able to meet his birth father and extended family in |
| was hard for me to narrow down which area I | | | | Kenya. Brooks is able to connect his adoptive family, |
| enjoyed the greatest or which part of his life | | | | his English family and his African family. Now he truly |
| experiences taught me the most. In spite of our | | | | knows his roots. |
| differences (gender, race, upbringing) I learned a lot | | | | What I really enjoyed about this book is that the |
| about myself as I read. I admire his ability to see the | | | | story did not end when he met his mother. He |
| positive learning experiences that come from | | | | continues on and teaches us about the how much |
| experiencing negative situations. | | | | more his life was enriched by being able to combine |
| Brooks was raised by a very protective, divorced | | | | his family from their different cultures. |
| black woman. They had to struggle financially. He had | | | | I highly recommend this book to be used in |
| close extended family in his life and a wonderful male | | | | African-American studies classes and in Cultural |
| role model. In his youth, he learned that he was | | | | Counseling classes. I think that it would be great to |
| adopted. His birth mother was a white woman and | | | | be read in areas of underprivileged youth. Brooks |
| his father was an African from Kenya. Brooks | | | | showed that he could overcome all of the hardships |
| developed an interest in finding his birth family so that | | | | in his life and he is actively involved in making a |
| he could learn about his roots. | | | | difference in the lives of others. |
| Throughout his education, Brooks had to deal with | | | | Brooks writes about how slavery has robbed African |
| racism and poverty. He experienced racism from his | | | | Americans of their history and culture. This often |
| friends and teachers. He attended a predominantly | | | | leads them to think that they are inferior. Because of |
| white school. Some of his friends would make racist | | | | his experiences he developed a perspective of |
| comments based on ignorance without realizing that | | | | himself as a "world citizen, not limited by race, religion, |
| their beliefs were wrong. Brooks chose to get his | | | | nationality or political ideology." If everyone could |
| revenge by excelling in academics and athletics. Then | | | | develop this view of themselves, there would be an |
| he had to deal with black-on-black prejudice by being | | | | end to racism and we would have world peace. |