Blanche White, the maid who figures things out

I picked up my first Blanche White book because of the title, “Blanche On The Lam”. What caught my eye was her name, the same as my mothers. That little hook brought me into Blanches world; the world of an independent black woman who happens to be a maid. Barbara Neely in four books moves Blanche from the South to the North, from job to job, accumulating a family along the way. In every book there is trouble and often threats to Blanche and her two children. She handles these threats, solves crimes, keeps her dignity and gives insight into her world. This book makes my quirky list for it’s unusual protagonist and Neely’s ability to let me see a life much different from my own. I’m pretty sure my mother would have liked Blanche as well. Checkout the four Blanche titles at the Blanche White website

Has a family connection ever drawn you towards a book?