"Young Blacks coming up in America were frequently subjected to parental lectures, almost all of which carried the same message: "Face this reality. You're gonna have to be twice as good as the white folks in order to get half as much." That was drilled into them. Bahamian lectures had another ring. "Get that education. Get out there and work. Get out there and hustle. Take whatever opportunities there are, and use them as stepping-stones."

(I had one gripe with this book, Poitier says Blacks did not own land in The Bahamas until 1858, which is factually wrong. Black Loyalists were legally owning land in The Bahamas from around the late 1780s to 1790s. I'm not sure about before the Loyalists' arrival, I haven't done the research for it. I could go on and on, but just know that Blacks owned land (and enslaved people) from before the 1850s.)

Poitier (or whatever ghostwriter) has a writing style that lulls the reader into a sense of security. The flow of his words carries you to and from the scenes he sets. It was easy to zoom through this work. It showed the dynamic of himself, and how he really came to be where he was today. Growing up on Cat island, he paints an idyllic picture of serenity where the family has just enough to get by (of course this is from the perspective of a child).

In Nassau, Poitier talks about his unknown experiences with racism; which he did not realize at the time what it was. He contrasts those experiences with the blatant racism in the US that he faces. He pushes the narrative that racism in The Bahamas was not the same as in the US; that there was a measure of kumbaya among Bahamians. I do ponder this; I do not think racism was experienced in the same way, but I do know that it was still pretty overt.

Poitier's connection with his family shows how family ties really help build people up to greatness. From his own words, Poitier seemed to be a stubborn man who worked for what he wants and was persistent while managing his responsibility. It is interesting to see the way Poitier reflects on how he's changed, and the ways he had evolved from home.

The religious aspect of the book, reminds me of a more naturalistic, spiritual view of the world. He mixes this in with his ecological fears of how 'progress' will change the earth.

I have never seen any of Poitier's works (that I can remember) so this sparks my interest to see really really see them soon.