THE WORLD ACCORDING TO FANNIE DAVIS My Mother's Life in the Detroit Numbers

Author Bridgett M. Davis narrates a love letter to her mother now that she is finally able to speak freely about her mother's vocation: She was a numbers runner of more than 30 years in late-twentieth-century Detroit. The illicit work provided an upper-middle-class life for Davis's family, and she eschews any indictment of her mother's character, painting a glowing portrait of a generous and wise maternal figure in the community. At times, Davis sounds in awe of her mother's deeds. At other times, she speaks more gingerly than a practiced narrator. But one can overlook this weakness because she weaves a great tale as she discusses riots and uprisings, the rise and dominance of Motown, and the emergence of a state lottery that now rivals her mother's business. M.P.P. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2019]