University of Georgia Press Break Any Woman Down

Break Any Woman Down explores nuances of race, class, and gender from the freshest, most unexpected vantage point since Sapphire's Push. In one story, Avery, an eleven-year-old from South Central Los Angeles, confronts the dislocation of moving to a white suburb. In another, La Donna, a black stripper, decides to leave her white boyfriend. In a third, a girl witnesses her uncle throw out a girlfriend she admires. Brilliantly capturing voices of the Deep South as well as of Los Angeles, Johnson's hip, sexy debut combines vivid language with unflinching honesty to bring vibrant characters to life.