''Yes'm''

HISTORICAL FICTIONYESmJ.M. DUKEIt is 1950 in rural Virginia when Samantha Lee is born into an upper middle class white family in atown divided along racial lines by both railroad tracks and philosophies. As the baby arrives home, sheis welcomed into the arms of Pearl, the God-fearing, uneducated black hired help who will eventuallybecome Sammies confidant, ally, and teacher of lifes greatest lessons. As Sammie matures through the tumultuous 1960s, Pearl makes it her personal mission to deter thegirl from a predetermined life of self-importance and bigotry. After Sammies mother takes a job, Pearlbecomes the mother figure in her life, nursing her through illness, teaching her Bible lessons, andsharing life stories. But as the little girl and her caretaker bond, they both struggle with the tensionbetween their love for each other and their obligations. Nine years later, as the nation battles to achievecivil rights, Sammie and Pearl find themselves in very different places in the same small town. Yesm is a story of hope, trust, wisdom, reconciliation, and respect as a black maid and her whitecharge share the winds of historical change. The stories of Pearl and Sammie intertwine in a way that will leave you both nostalgic for an earlierera and grateful that the uglier parts of the past are behind us. S. E. Jacobs, attorney, Richmond, VirginiaThe chapters flow like vignettes as Sammie and Pearl come to life. B. L. Cloud, MEd, University of Virginia; Goodreads reviewerYesm makes us remember the joys and pains of being part of a familywherever we mayhave grown up. E. T. Fife, retired educator