Welcome
Welcome to my website. I’m Charlotte Phoenix, author of Revelations, a family saga that follows descendants of Mister Mann, born a slave named Thomas, from the end of slavery through to the present and into the future. A unique feature of this saga is that it is told through excerpts from the private journals of four educated Black Christian women, and the oral history of a fifth one, from different generations.
It is historical fiction that explores the impact of actual events on an African American family. Through the stories recounted by Juliette, Bea, Mary, Sarah and Claudia, you will experience their loves, marriages, trials, challenges and triumphs from adolescence to end of life and get their emotional perspectives as they collectively experience living through Reconstruction Era Mississippi, the Great Migration, World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, civil rights movement and ongoing prejudice and sexism.. Along the way, you will laugh and cry with them and cheer for them. You will also get a fresh perspective on America’s history and social evolution.
Early readers of Revelations have described it as a “fast read” with vibrant, relatable characters. Indeed, readers of different ages, ethnicities and orientations will find commonalities in the universal human emotions and experiences of the women, men and children in the five inter-related stories and secrets that are revealed in Revelations.
Synopsis
Revelations
An epic family saga that follows a legacy of faith, values and traditions passed down through seven generations of an African American family, Revelations takes readers on an emotional journey of 170 years filled with drama, suspense, trials, triumphs and tear-jerking events in the life stories recounted by five women from different generations:
Claudia – an idealistic New York journalist is motivated in 2004 to investigate her family’s past when shocking 30-year-old secrets are exposed and threaten to disrupt her seemingly perfect family.
Sarah – Claudia’s mother confesses to a history of manipulation and deceit rooted in tragic losses that compelled her to take charge of her life in 1963 at age 15. She entrusts Claudia with the private journals of family matriarchs from three prior generations.
Juliette – Claudia’s great-great-grandmother must decide in 1885 at 17 whether to move North and easily pass for white or to live out her days as a Black woman in Mississippi.
Bea – Claudia’s great-grandmother, Juliette’s daughter-in-law, is forced to flee Mississippi pregnant in 1916 to escape death at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan and to flee Ohio pregnant in 1919 to escape violence threatened by labor union organizers.
Mary – Claudia’s grandmother, Bea’s daughter, born and raised in Michigan, faces harsh consequences in the 1940’s – ‘50’s for daring to think she should have the same options as men in managing her personal and professional life.
Through their personal accounts, Claudia gleans their unique perspectives on America’s history and social evolution from 19th Century Mississippi to 21st Century New York. She easily relates to their stories as they address universal human needs, desires, goals and challenges that transcend time and location. Reflecting on the revelations of her ancestors’ narratives, Claudia discovers surprising truths about herself as she resolves to maintain peace in her family.
Revelations Promotional Video by Charlotte Phoenix
About the Author
Charlotte Phoenix
Dr. Charlotte Phoenix served as a college educator and administrator for 40 years. She co-hosted two internationally televised courses in the CBS Sunrise Semester Series and made numerous professional presentations across America, in England and Sierra Leone. She has published a number of professional articles and a college planning guide. Born and raised in Detroit, she earned a B.A. degree at Howard University, M.A. at Wayne State University and Ph.D. at New York University. She lived briefly in Atlanta, where she began her career in higher education as an Assistant Professor at Atlanta University School of Education. She has resided in New York since 1973. A widow, she was married for 42 years, has two grown daughters and five grandchildren.
Revelations is her first novel. It is inspired by family stories she heard growing up in a multi-generational home with her great-grandmother, maternal grandparents and parents. Fascinated by anecdotal tales they told about family and friends, she researched people and events they described. Then, she wove what she had heard and what she learned into a realistic fictional narrative, incorporating actual historical facts.
Book Reviews
“Revelations…is powerful and insightful…keeps the reader guessing and anticipating what will happen next. I recommend its reading.”
“What a page turner! I experienced the gamut of emotions from sadness, to anger, to sheer laughter and shedding tears. I especially appreciated the historical contexts and details as well as their relevance throughout. It gave me a lot to reflect on with respect to my own life and that of my mom. “
“Revelations is a captivating and enlightening read, which raises issues that are certain to arouse titillating debate. Dr. Charlotte Phoenix is a talented writer. She intertwines family stories with research and her imagination to create intriguing characters from various historical periods who are astonishingly relatable to contemporary readers.”
“Revelations is a page turner. I highly recommend it. I found the family stories very interesting from generation to generation. Women are strong characters, relevant in the stability, education and economic survival of the family. “
“Revelations grabs your attention and holds it—so much so you don’t want to put it down! Although it is fiction, you find yourself easily relating to one or more of the characters and/or situation(s). Conditions impacting Black families have never been more eloquently portrayed. Still there is an air of whimsy. A good and easy read, it is intriguing and thought provoking. “
Contact
Charlotte Phoenix