Loveis Wise

Bentley met and married Swift Deer. One had escaped slavery, the other had escaped the Trail of Tears. Together they had a beautiful daughter named Magnolia who fell in love with a man, John, that her father did not approve of, so Magnolia and John fled Florida to be together. Rich illustrations add depth to the capable retelling of the Hurston short story, now made accessible to younger audiences.

Art and lyrical language weave together a history of African Americans from the time when they were taken from their homeland to the Black Lives Matter movement. The history is intertwined with principles of Kwanzaa which was first celebrated in 1966. This handsome book is meant to be shared.