Show Way (review)

Woodson traces her family through seven generations, from a woman she calls Soonie's Great-Grandma to her own daughter, Toshi Georgiana. She relates how Mathis May, her great-great-great-grandmother, made quilts called "Show Ways," which used patterns to indicate paths that slaves could follow to freedom. The text is a lyrical prose poem, incorporating repetitive phrases to good effect for both reading aloud and strengthening the intergenerational connections in a story that recalls Hearne's Seven Brave Women (BCCB 10/97). Woodson shows the special courage of each woman, whether in enduring slavery, working hard in her own fields, or participating in freedom marches. She reflects that though she doesn't have to march in protests or work in fields, she still has to find her own Show Way and pass it along to her daughter. The progression aids in clarifying the identity of the various women, and the final swoosh of quilt with the women included in order clears up any residual confusion. Though the human figures are sometimes jarringly perky or overly posed, visuals overall are quite effective: chalk and watercolor depictions of human scenes combine with fabric and paper collage to create pages that resemble the various squares of a "Show Way" quilt; the incorporation of photographic images and inspirational quotations from the history of African Americans completes the metaphoric link between that history and Woodson's personal story. The resulting effect is much larger than one writer's biography—it is itself a Show Way to remind audiences of the importance of knowing where they've been in order to point the way to their future.