Books by Kristal Brent Zook
The Girl in the Yellow Poncho
At five years old, Kristal Brent Zook sat on the steps of a Venice Beach, California, motel trying to make sense of her white father’s abandonment, which left her feeling unworthy of a man’s love and of white protection. Raised by her working-class African American mother and grandmother, Zook was taught not to count on anyone, especially men. Men leave. Men disappoint.
In adulthood she became a feminist, activist, and “race woman” journalist in New York City. Despite her professional success, something was missing. Coming to terms with her identity was a constant challenge. The Girl in the Yellow Poncho is Zook’s coming-of-age tale about what it means to be biracial in America. Throughout, she grapples with in-betweenness while also facing childhood sexual assault, economic insecurity, and multigenerational alcoholism and substance abuse on both the Black and white sides of her family.
"Zook recalls a childhood haunted by her missing father, and complicated by his return. A brave, heart-stirring memoir."
— PEOPLE
"Kristal Brent Zook has written an honest, illuminating look at her life, loves and culture."
— Nelson George, author of City Kid: A Writer's Memoir of Ghetto Life and Post-Soul Success
