Books in the Writing Lives: Ethnographic Narratives series

Narrates the life histories of members of the Red Thread Development Corporation, a group of women activists in the Caribbean. This book explores the impact of their work on these women's lives and, in the process, discovers differences of class and nation that overshadow the gender and race.

Laurie Charles finished her PhD, then took off to West Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer. Asked to create programs to help adolescent girls stay in school, she found herself enmeshed in the politics and cultural barriers that prevent these girls from creating a better life. This book presents her experiences as a volunteer in West Africa.