A Touching, Inspirational Memoir
About The Book
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.
- Publisher : Hanover Square Press
- Published : January 31, 2023
- Hardcover : 288 pages
What’s Being Said
“Taylor’s narrative flows beautifully (even the parts that are hard to read) and integrates seamlessly with her reflections on love, care, and forgiveness. A beyond-compelling testimonial.”—Booklist STARRED review
“Painful and inspiring, Goldie’s memoir is important and unique.”—Good Morning America
“Goldie Taylor’s absolutely stunning memoir depicts Black life in St. Louis, Missouri, in the 1970s and ’80s with cinematic detail and novelistic prose.”—BookPage
Listen to this Podcast Interview
I was surprised by how quickly I was drawn into Goldie Taylor’s memoir. Her beautiful writing drew me into the ‘70s, and eventually the ‘80s, and her story begged me to keep turning the pages. So the pages turned.
The challenges she faced growing up in the ‘70s and ‘80s were hard to comprehend, especially as I continually reminded myself of her young age. She was raped at 11 years old but forced by her mother to ignore it and not encouraged to share her feelings. This ended in her bottling it all up inside and later considering suicide.
At an extremely early age, she was tossed back and forth between her mother and aunt. Unfortunately, both were only able to offer her shelter. For the most part, no love or nurturing attitudes that a growing child needs were extended.
This is such a heartbreaking, yet well-written story of being poor and Black. Of being abused, neglected, and ignored. Taylor offers an underlying, beautiful story of rising above adversity.
My Concerns
For those who watch for trigger warnings, read the synopsis and make sure this book will be okay for you
Final Thoughts
This is a well-told, inspirational story, of rising above the life she was born into. It reminded me of The Glass Castle, A Child Called It, and Educated. Books that won’t be forgotten.
My thanks to TLC Book Tours, the publisher, and the author for a complimentary copy. I was under no obligation to post a positive review.
About The Author
Goldie Taylor is a journalist, political analyst and human rights activist. She been featured on NBC News, MSNBC, ABC News, CNN, HLN, The Steve Harvey Show, and Good Morning America, as well as NPR’s All Things Considered. She has written for Salon, Atlanta Journal Constitution, St. Louis Post Dispatch, The Grio, Huffington Post, and as editor-at-large for The Daily Beast. She lives in Boston.
