The Ditchdiggers daughters

The Ditch Diggers Daughters could be called, “how to raise successful children” or “how to overcome any limitations”, or even “how to ignore naysayers and raise young people”. I’ll just call it a really good family biography. Dr. Yvonne Thornton recounts how her father raise five daughters with the belief that they could all do anything that they wanted to do. Her father, Donald Thornton, dug ditches at one point of his life and managed to get his children educated, helped them become brilliant musicians who played the Apollo, and became educated and independent women. Mr. Thornton did this by any means necessary, ignoring an and all obstacles, including his own pride, to get his children where he wanted them to be.

The book is an easy read. I rate it a buy. I started reading it in a book store and couldn’t put it down. It is rare for the story of rising from poverty to the middle class is documented in book form. Dr. Thornton does a great job recounting the life of her father, and her family. This book is a good tool for showing that determination can help one overcome racism, poverty, and many other obstacles. It’s a great book.