Sin Child is the personal account of a strong-minded child who endured a daily struggle to find the smallest amount of acceptance and, many times, a place to fall asleep at night. Angela came to accept loss, abuse and organized crime as a natural part of her life. The innocence and nostalgia of a one-traffic-light town fade too fast for the cotton-top child with a neglectful, angry mother and an absent father.

The AIDS epidemic and simple abandonment repeatedly robbed her of friends and loved ones. Waking up at the age of ten, in a house surrounded by fire and men in white robes, she was terrified of what was usually only feared by blacks and the LGBT community in rural Mississippi. On March 2, 2018, Oprah Winfrey appeared in a 60 Minutes segment, further introducing the concept of PTSD in those who suffered adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). She stated, “This story has had more impact on me than practically anything I’ve ever done.” Sin Child continues the national discussion about the role of childhood trauma in a person’s development.

A riveting memoir, Sin Child tells the story of childhood trauma and abandonment, alongside a narrative of grit and determination. It is a gutsy and gritty story without a silver lining. There is no knight in shining armor that rescues the damsel in distress. It shows the resiliency and maturity of a child who becomes a strong and respected woman through her own resolve to overcome extreme neglect and abuse to survive and achieve.