Description
Book SynopsisJanet Duffy, a spunky, seventeen-year-old Irish girl, is eager to start college—but instability between her alcoholic father and self-absorbed mother jeopardize her dream, so she sets up her own apartment with her younger sister in Jamaica, Queens, and treks to City College in Manhattan, New York. The routine is deadening, but she finds purpose in the black community, working for a mural painter and volunteering for a civil rights activist.
After turning eighteen, Janet marches with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and falls for a young black saxophone player, Carmen. Her father, a policeman, explodes over their relationship, so Janet rebels—runs away with the jazz musician, and then winds up in the East Village in the Summer of Love. In the ensuing months she deals with heartbreak, sexual harassment, poverty, and danger—but eventually, she asks for the help she needs in order to pick up the pieces of her life and return to her dream.
Trade Review“Candid and wholehearted,
Rebellion, 1967: A Memoir offers a window into an era of turbulence and dramatic change, and keeps the reader’s attention riveted from cover to cover. Highly recommended!”
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Midwest Book Reviews “It takes rare courage to be this vulnerable, honest, and authentic in a memoir. With heart wide open, Janet reveals herself as a girl whose path was driven by intellect, curiosity, and a quest for justice. The history she weaves into her personal story gives gravity to the book. A compelling story.”
—Denise Page, writer, storyteller, diversity trainer, and vision engineer with F.U.N. (Fired Up Network)
“Now is the best time for this memoir to come out. Janet has an important message to deliver.”
—Sonja Ahuja, Capacity Building and Training Partner, Co-Creating Effective and Inclusive Organizations (CEIO)
