Dear Squally

A deeply moving, raw, and unfiltered look into the heart of a father who never stopped loving his daughter- even from behind prison walls. In Dear Squally, Tekesia Monae Smith shares the intimate and vulnerable prison diary entries written to her by her father, Robert J. Smith, during his incarceration in the 1990s. Affectionately calling his daughter "Squally", Robert documents the struggles, hopes, heartbreaks, and spiritual awakenings of a young Black man navigating the prison system while trying to remain a present and devoted father.

From reflections on love and regret to meditations on race, poverty, and the criminal justice system, these entries reveal a soul in transformation- a man reckoning with his past and fighting for redemption. As Tekesia reconnects with her father through his letters, she gifts the world a powerful testimony of love, loss, resilience, and generational healing.

"The day Tekesia was born was the day I was reborn."

This book is for anyone who's ever missed someone deeply, for children of incarcerated parents, and for those who believe in second chances and the enduring power of love.