First Reflection on "Warriors Don't Cry"

The story Melba is telling in her book Warriors Don't Cry, is quite powerful. Even by the first line in the first paragraph she has you hooked, "In 1957, while most teenage girls were listening to Buddy Holly's 'Peggy Sue,' watching Elvis gyrate, and collecting crinoline slips, I was escaping the hanging rope of a lynch mob..." these words are quite powerful. They convey just how incredibly violent communities like Little Rock, Arkansas were in the 1950s.

What really astounds me is Melba's courage and strength. Even though I have only read up through the 6th chapter, it is already quite clear that Melba knows what she wants out of life, and will stop at nothing to achieve her goal. She is partly this way because she has strong people to back her up. In particular, her grandmother. In the second chapter Melba's grandmother tells her, "Be patient, and one day, God willing, you'll see inside that school, I promise." Her grandmother is extremely religious which some might think is too much for a young girl. Yet for Melba, I feel it is comforting because it teaches her to be strong, because Melba is going to face quite a bit of adversity in her life, and the worst of it hasn't even started yet.

So far, I have been enjoying this novel. As I stated before the begging of the novel had me hooked from the start. It's powerful language, and engaging plot line makes for a unique story. I am very curious as to see what happens with Melba and the rest of the Little Rock 9.