books from the heart
bY a. jEAN JACKSON
The trilogy
blackeyed peas and cornbread
mae mae's eastend cafe
mae mae's just dessert
also: the belle still stands
and poetry books
"loving and knowing" & "poems of lent in a pandemic"



 

WELCOME to my website. Because you dared to visit, you will be taken deeper inside of my head as an author. In the trilogy there are twists and turns, good, bad and awful times. These times are especially highlighted in the second book, MAE MAE'S EASTEND CAFE as Mae Mae's daughter, Esther attempts to release the demons that she inherited. All of the books in the trilogy take place in the beautiful mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. They also peek back at historical eras from an African American perspective from Jim Crow to Black is Beautiful. Love and music and food of the times are brought to life in every scene. The trilogy ends with MAE MAE'S JUST DESSERT and you will not believe the ending to it all...But first things first...Get to know Mae Mae and the other characters. The first novel, BLACKEYED PEAS AND CORNBREAD actually brought the character Mae Mae to life. It explored the difficulties of establishing a positive family unit if generations are never "made right." Mae Mae was sold as a teenager for the price of a hog, by her own mother. Her suffering not only lived inside her soul but it naturally passed on to those she loved.

 

THE BELLE STILL STANDS a Novel focuses on the lives and times of three different generations of women at Bennett College for women. The dream of every African American mother is for their daughter to have the opportunity to obtain an education. a 'Bennett College' education is much more than what is learned in books and in the classroom. It provides a special kind of wisdom that can be used in every aspect of life. THE BELLE STILL STANDS looks deeply into those lives including the good, the bad...JUST LIFE. You'll see history, hair, clothes, music and dances of the times. The memories from each generation of the women's only college jump right out. 

 

LOVING AND KNOWING...Life Poems by A. Jean Jackson comes from LIFE...period...

 

POEMS OF LENT IN A PANDEMIC 2021 is my latest work. It evolved from prayers and meditations during the Lenten season, the need for love during the pandemic, BLM, March Madness, nature, and sisterly love. Other books are available on Amazon. 

 

AUTHOR: A. Jean Jackson grew up in an area of Asheville called Eastend. She currently lives in Greensboro, North Carolina and enjoys a new career in writing after retiring from Parks and Recreation.