From Bleek to Blessing

Published: Nov. 9, 2011, 7 p.m.

Despite finding herself divorced and raising a special needs child on her own, dealing with the death of two brothers due to drugs, this Diva has pulled herself out of a traumatic situation and found victory. When everything looked bleak, she found blessings. In her new book, Black Child to Black Woman (a ‘live diary’), Cheryl (McNeil) Bannerman discusses an experience that will grab your attention right from the start. The character, Tara Walker, speaks directly to the reader as she adds entry after entry into her Journal. She documents her experiences, her family life, her triumphs, as well as her interpretation of life and the world as she saw it. As she grows, so does the language and tone of the diary, which matches her maturity and speech patterns as the time passes. Experiences are mere images engraved in our minds that we recall when future events occur such as a tragedy or even when a song is playing on the radio. Tara has captured those moments in time in her diary, even the painful ones. Although she came from a loving home with both parents, she struggled to come to grips with siblings addicted to drugs, molestation, attempted rape, broken hearts, and so much more. Her diary experiences will make you laugh, cry, scream, sigh, and gasp aloud. As Tara struggles to keep her head above water and fight through the tribulations of her life, she continues to smile, continues to grow as a person, continues to be successful in her career, and continues to survive. About Our Guest: Cheryl McNeil (pen name, Cheryl D. Bannerman, her birth name) is CEO of a small virtual training company based out of Central New Jersey. She holds a Bachelors in Business Management and a Masters in Project Management. She is also the (divorced) single mother of a beautiful twelve year old girl. Be sure to invite your friends and family! We’ll see YOU at the show!!