Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

The Love You Save

A Memoir

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
"The Love You Save will console and inspire countless people."—J.R. Moehringer, New York Times bestselling author of The Tender Bar
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings meets Educated in this harrowing, deeply hopeful memoir of family, faith and the power of books—from acclaimed journalist and human rights activist Goldie Taylor

Aunt Gerald takes in anyone who asks, but the conditions are harsh. For her young niece Goldie Taylor, abandoned by her mother and coping with trauma of her own, life in Gerald's East St. Louis comes with nothing but a threadbare blanket on the living room floor.

But amid the pain and anguish, Goldie discovers a secret. She can find kinship among writers like James Baldwin and Toni Morrison. She can find hope in a nurturing teacher who helps her find her voice. And books, she realizes, can save her life.
Goldie Taylor's debut memoir shines a light on the strictures of race, class and gender in a post–Jim Crow America while offering a nuanced, empathetic portrait of a family in a pitched battle for its very soul.
Profoundly moving, exquisitely rendered and ultimately uplifting, The Love You Save is a story about hidden strength, perseverance against unimaginable odds, the beauty and pain of girlhood, and the power of the written word.
  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      October 10, 2022
      A turbulent coming-of-age in the 1970s and ’80s Missouri suburbs is recalled in this indelible memoir from Taylor (Paper Gods: A Novel of Money, Race, and Politics). After Taylor’s father was murdered when she was five, the family moved to the all-white suburb of St. Ann. Taylor, who is Black, thrived in her new home until a teenage boy raped her when she was 11 years old. When Taylor’s family ignored her trauma (“It was as if my mother tucked away the unpleasantness and moved on”), she struggled with thoughts of suicide. Later, Taylor went to live with her aunt and uncle in East St. Louis, where her aunt, who called her “Dum-Dum,” forced her to toil for hours doing household labor, and her cousin repeatedly raped her, resulting in a pregnancy and a miscarriage. But school was a refuge for Taylor, and she became inspired by the works of Maya Angelou and James Baldwin, who “was a ready salve, meeting me at my point of need.” Taylor’s narrative is peppered with canny and insightful reflections: “For far too many years, I lived as if holding my breath.” This powerful examination of survival and self-forgiveness is an emotional reckoning. Agent: Eve Attermann, WME.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Bahni Turpin exceptionally narrates Goldie Taylor's memoir about growing up under chaotic circumstances, never knowing when Mom might show up. Auntie Gerald runs a tight ship but neglects the danger in the house full of cousins. Goldie frequently sneaks off to safety in a locked bathroom or Grandma Alice's bedroom. Books save Goldie, and her teachers nurture her intellect and love of speech and writing. Once in high school, she is no longer a victim and finds her powerful voice. The epilogue illuminates reconciliation in a way that only looking back as an adult can. Turpin's performance of the distinctive range of characters adds a rich, emotive quality to this listening experience. L.J.C.A. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Loading