A Peach Tree in the Projects

The life of author Geneva K. Olowoeshin began during the time when civil rights were still new, and African Americans were still referred to as Negroes and colored. In A Peach Tree in the Projects, Olowoeshin examines her life and emotions from the angle of one of the last in the baby boomer era She explains how she coped with being adopted and growing up with parents old enough to be her grandparents, but with the stamina and wit to not only keep up, but leave lifelong lessons necessary in today's unpredictable society. Through poetry dating back to the early 1980s, Olowoeshin shows how words have always been relevant in taming her deepest pains of loves lost, her brother's plight, and the struggles with a severe identity crisis. The included pictures give real color to her story, vividly illustrating what is being told in the essays and the poetry. This compilation shares how writing this life story began as a therapeutic outlet for a tumultuous path. It helped her understand that not knowing who you are and where you come from can have a powerful effect. Gaining strength from not knowing, however, makes for a beautiful picture.