One of the most beguiling, surprising memoirs to come along in some time was that of Mishna Wolff with her coming-of-age account, I'm Down (newly in paper, Griffin). First published last year, this is a Seattle coming-of-age—Mishna Wolff writes of her upbringing in the Rainier Valley, living most of the time with her father and sister. Though white, her father identified culturally as black. This leads to quite a story. It's told with humor, empathy, and insight, even as it lets readers feel much of the fear and uncertainty the author felt as an adolescent. The story has its shifts—from feeling she didn't fit in as 'black' (acceptance from peers was mixed), she goes for a time to live with her mother, attending a new school with wealthy white kids who, far from being enviable, seem lonely and removed from real life. "In a memoir that is frequently hilarious, occasionally terrifying, and ultimately bittersweet, Wolff forces readers to consider whether racial identity is the result of nature, derived through nurture, or constructed and reconstructed through life ... Wolff writes fluidly and offers moments of great insight through the story rather than explanation, making it easy for readers to engage with the child's questions and growing frustrations. An excellent choice for discussion in ethnic identity curricula, but absorbing reading, too." - Francisca Goldsmith, Library Journal. As part of this Seattle visit, Mishna Wolff will also be reading at the Northwest African American Museum on Saturday, June 26. Please see www.naamnw.org for more information.