Girlz 'n the Hood is the unsentimental, moving, and surprisingly humorous account of a girl and her ten siblings who grew up in one of the roughest neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Mary’s mother was a fierce matriarch, a single mom who raised eleven children with the help of welfare checks and a fire arm hidden in her bra. Drugs, guns, and pregnancies were everyday occurrences, but Mary and her siblings took it all in stride, spying on the grown-ups, playing in the streets, and helping to take care of the new babies when they were born. The dubious yet colorful cast of characters that came into their lives (the Jehovah Witnesses, the whores, the addicts, the “fathers”), and the never-ending series of hardships (the jail terms, the knife fights, the mental illness, and homicides), couldn’t shake the core of the family. This is the story of Mary, but, even more so, it’s the story of her mother, a uniquely strong and extraordinary woman who was able to survive moments of pain and disappointment by laughing at the comedy of human missteps, miscalculations, and downright stupidity. This is also a story about race and of poverty and how, over time, it can wear you down and destroy you, because, although Mary got out okay, her sisters and brothers were not so lucky.
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"Before getting too far I feel it is important to state that I am a friend of Mary's. We met, more than thirty years ago, at the Las Vegas Sun newspaper, where I was a photgrapher and Mary was a writer. Girlz 'n The Hood fills in the detals of her family's life before we met.
My dear friend, Mary Hill, told me a a love story when Girlz 'n The Hood was published. My wife bought the book but I wanted to hear my friend's voice as she told me the story of a Mama bear as she protected her cubs -- often, from themselves. I chose the audio version and was moved to tears as I listened to the torment, aggravation and violent struggles that plagued a mother who just wanted to raise her children to be their very best. Yet, everything in our world and culture were stacked against a poor family living in south central Los Angeles where everyone and everything just wanted to take.
As I listened to Mary steel her voice in the harder, emotional parts of the story, I was able to read between the lines of another, unintended, story. The story of White Privilege. Comparing my life to the grueling conditions of this family (who represents so many others) I do not understand the punishment that many are forced to endure.
I was in a public place when Mary informed me of her mother, Sarah Gordon's passing. I had to turn the book off because I knew that my cheeks would soon be wet. This is a personal story of struggle and I, as a listener, felt like a family member after losing our matriarch.
I worked with my friend Mary at the Las Vegas Sun newspaper where we would talk about her mother and her ways. I remember when Sarah passed and got to meet her sister Teresa.
Girlz 'n The Hood is a love story that is as subtle as a pot of boiling lye and water being poured over your head. This is not a pretty story. But it is pretty important as it chronicles the absolute struggle of a black family in our modern America.
Thank you Dr. Mary Hill-Wagner. I know and understand so much more about you and the divide between black and white America. Your book is important and needs to be required reading for all."
—
Tony Blei (5 out of 5 stars)