Red Flags

By: Valerie J. Fullilove

Narrated by: Audrea Wright

It's the shiny object that catches the eye, but all that glitters is not gold.

Laura Lee and Terrence were best buds in high school. They had grown up together as kids in a gritty tough inner-city neighborhood on the Southside of Chicago. Laura Lee was raised in a loving two-parent Christian home. She was destined to escape her environment and attend Howard University to pursue a medical career. Her future was filled with hope and direction. Terrence, whose drug-addicted parents were incarcerated, was raised by his widowed grandmother. He was destined to live a life in the hood. His future was filled with uncertainty.

Terrence brought about excitement and adventure to Laura Lee's sheltered life. He was her protector in a difficult environment. He was the yin to her yang. She brought about a sense of normalcy to his chaotic life. She was the string to his unstable kite.

Who knew the dynamics of their friendship would drastically change the trajectory of their young lives. Who knew those qualities that endeared them to one another would morph into something alien.

There was no turning back. There were no fix-its or do-overs. This was foreign territory. It's all about choices: it's all about survival now.

©2021 Valerie J Fullilove (P)2023 2023

Brava!

I was eager to read Red Flags and tried unsuccessfully to do so last year when it was first published in print form. Sadly, my vision is no longer as accommodating as it used to be in that regard. So I was thankful and very excited when I learned of the book’s availability through my Audible subscription. I’ve now listened to it twice and adored it even more the second time around. I found it to be a beautifully narrated, expertly written book about a young black person’s coming of age story that was at once bittersweet, exciting, sorrowful and inspirational. Brava! dearest Val. Thanks for giving us a well-crafted and compelling story that can be shared, understood and appreciated by readers and listeners regardless of generation, skin color, gender or faith.