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by Chanel Odaris Robinson (Author)
Broken Things Still Bloom is an authentic memoir of resilience, memory, and Black girlhood in West Baltimore during the 1970s and 1980s. Chanel Robinson came of age in the Gilmor Homes, a public housing project where childhood was shaped by both community strength and systemic struggle.
Born to a teen mother, Chanel grew up surrounded by the energy of soul music, front-porch friendships, and neighborhood traditions. But she was also shadowed by addiction, domestic violence, and family secrets. Her life was marked early by childhood trauma, including sexual abuse, and by the expectation that she become caretaker, protector, and survivor far too soon.
Through vivid storytelling, Chanel reflects on the complexities of single-mother households, Black family history, and cycles of pain that often go unspoken. She recalls the women who raised her who were loving, loud, exhausted, and faithful. She also reflects on quiet moments of clarity that shaped her: a teacher who gave her a kitten, the comfort of writing, the joy of becoming a mother, and the first time she said "no" and claimed her body as her own.
Broken Things Still Bloom is a testament to generational resilience and the emotional strength required to grow something whole in the aftermath of brokenness. It honors the complexity of women's voices, especially those who have been silenced, overlooked, or misunderstood.
For readers drawn to narratives that uplift the lived experiences of Black women, Chanel Robinson's debut is unflinching and urgently necessary.
