One of all time favorite past times has always been to read a good book. Unfortunately, over the last several years, I have fallen away from this favorite routine. Yesterday, I decided to remedy that cold and hard fact and settled in for a long afternoon of good old fashioned reading. But, my long afternoon turned into a three in the morning ordeal; I just couldn’t put this book down!
Mattie was never truly mine. That knowledge must have filled me as quickly and surely as the milk from her breasts. Although my family ‘owned’ her, although she occupied the center of my universe, her deepest affections lay elsewhere. So along with the comfort of her came the fear that I would lose her some day.
Yellow Crocus, written by Laila Ibrihim, takes place in the South during the 1800s. This book is a love story about two strong women, Mattie and Lisbeth. Mattie is a slave that loves and watches over Lisbeth, the white child of her master. Mattie is forced to leave her infant in the care of family members, so she can nurse and comfort the newborn child of her owner. Although torn from her family, the woman bonds with baby Lisbeth and the two unite as a family of their own.
Over the years, Lisbeth’s devotion to Mattie may be observed as she begins to discover Mattie’s strength, her love for her family, and her faith in God. In return, Mattie showers this child with love and affection; a gift the little girl desperately desires since sentiment and tenderness are seriously lacking within her own family.
Mattie influences and shapes the woman that Lisbeth becomes as the young women shakes off the illusions of slavery in the Antebellum South. The reader witnesses the liberation of both women in this story of hope, triumph, and the undeniable power of just loving one another.
Tales of a Family 
Added to my list, thank you
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You’re welcome.
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Hi, Ann Marie, I just came across your blog after looking into Henry Enoch and Elizabeth Ross, my maternal 6th-great-grandparents. I noticed your site through a google search of Henry and Elizabeth. I love the post you have on them and the wonderful photos and info. Really cool, and I’m envious. I also noticed, as I have in my own research, a discrepancy with the birthdates of Elizabeth and her parents. What I’ve come across is that Elizabeth was born in 1710, but her parents, William Ross and Armenella Whiteside were born in 1702 and 1698, respectively. That would make William a father at age 8 and Armenella a mother at age 12. Sadly, I have yet to come across evidence to correct this, but I’ll keep looking. I just wondered whether you had noticed the issue.
Again, I love the site, and are we related through the Enochs?
Best wishes,
Dan Rooney
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Hi Cousin! Yes, the dates of William Ross and Armenella Whiteside have also frustrated me as well. Hopefully, as I continue to research, I will find some answers to this puzzling dilemma. I am glad you liked the photos and information. I plan on writing a military piece about Henry Enochs, and his son, Enoch, so please check back in a couple of weeks. Hopefully I will have my research finished soon!
Annie
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I’m very much looking forward to that, Annie. Thank you for responding.
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Ignore my last sentence. I see by the post that we probably are!!
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According to my calculations, we are 6th cousins, once removed. Here’s what I have (please inspect for errors):
Ann Marie Reeder (1961 – )
6th cousin 1x removed
Dorothy Marie Allen (1934 – 2006)
mother of Ann Marie Reeder
Thomas Allen (1896 – 1975)
father of Dorothy Marie Allen
Henry Allen (1853 – 1942)
father of Thomas Allen
Sarah Sallie Hupp (1822 – 1914)
mother of Henry Allen
Mary Polly Davis (1802 – 1866)
mother of Sarah Sallie Hupp
Sarah Enoch (1773 – 1845)
mother of Mary Polly Davis
Enoch Enoch (1750 – 1835)
father of Sarah Enoch
Henry Enoch Jr. (1732 – 1797)
father of Enoch Enoch
Armenellah Enoch (1764 – 1824)
daughter of Henry Enoch Jr.
Henry Enoch Sargent (1789 – 1870)
son of Armenellah Enoch
Rev. David Harris Sargent (1817 – 1894)
son of Henry Enoch Sargent
Mary Louisa Sargent (1850 – 1922)
daughter of Rev. David Harris Sargent
Oren Ray Carter (1887 – 1965)
son of Mary Louisa Sargent
Doris Frances Carter (1915 – 1980)
daughter of Oren Ray Carter
Daniel Kevin Rooney
You are the son of Doris Frances Carter
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I checked my family tree, and I could not find Armenellah Enoch. In my tree, there was a Hannah Enoch born in 1766. More questions…
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