Do I Dare Disturb the Universe?: From the Projects to Prep School: A Memoir
A memoir told through evocative language and with clear-eyed precision. Lyles writes about her experiences with both America’s mid-20th-century urban racial dysfunction and her own intellectual blooming . . . She moves back and forth with grace and an ever-growing awareness of how her parents created a smart, well-read girl in spite of poverty . . . This is essential reading for all American teens. (School Library Journal2009-04-01)A fascinating literary memoir from the viewpoint of a little girl who did dare to disturb the universe she was born into . . . Lyles has given a vivid picture, one laced with generosity, humor and insight, of growing up poor without giving up. (Laura KennellyMorning Journal2008-12-14)Blacks and whites sharing the same schools are a foregone conclusion in the modern day, but as recent as forty years ago, major challenges were faced . . . [A] story of arriving in an extreme majority white prep school during such a time it was completely unheard of. Facing a new set of challenges while maintaining a desire to learn, Lyles’ story is a moving one indeed . . . A solid piece on those who faced challenges during the civil rights era. (Midwest Book Review2009-01-28)Lyles speaks to the experiences many of us have of growing up Black. She touches on issues of having an estranged parent, the wealth of living in poverty, navigating two very different social universes and finding one’s proper place. (Vanessa JonesCall & Post2009-02-05)Lyles straddles multiple worlds as she comes of age, and her longing for the attention of a feckless father registers on every page. Her clear, detail-rich memoir shows how she constructed an identity—before graduating from Smith College and eventually returning to Cleveland. (Karen LongThe Plain Dealer2009-05-31)An enthralling slice-of-life look at what the city once was, what it has become, and what life was like and continues to be for those in the forgotten projects . . . The politics of racial equality—the black militants that brought order to the projects vs. the idealism of her mother—tumble within Lyles as she grapples with what it is to be an Afro-American woman . . . An engrossing read and highly recommended. (Akhirnya AkhirnyaPajiba.com2011-02-07)