A Story of Strength, Courage, and Faith, Dealing with Unseen Bullies and Those Who Lack Empathy

Thelma Atkins and her four children have moved several times around the City of Chicago and finally, she thought a move she made two years ago would have been their last. The fear of moving again has surfaced back up. Living not too far, is her sister Crystal Smalls, who has two kids of her own. Crystal, who like Thelma, is a single parent. She couldn’t ask for a better place to raise her children. But one morning, she received a phone call from Thelma that would change the course of their lives as well as their children forever. The sisters and their children embark on the journey to have a piece of the American Dream. Thelma’s youngest child Bernadette cannot help but wonder what it would be like living in a new neighborhood and attending a new school. As she watches her Mother and Auntie reach for the stars, she's unaware that her entire family faith would be tested and their lives would be in danger. “Hi, my name is Bernadette, and this is a story about new beginnings in a new school and living in a new neighborhood.”

Adrian C. Dawson was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, by the late Larry James and Virgie Abraham-Henry. She attended and graduated from Bowen High School in 1983. Adrian attended and graduated from a Technical Community College Phlebotomy Program in North Carolina. She enjoyed working as a State Certified Phlebotomist in the same state until she moved to Germany in 2014. Adrian loves to exercise by walking or riding her bike, enjoys listening to music, traveling, being around family and friends, as well as going to church. She currently lives with her husband Tyrone Dawson in the Sandhills region of North Carolina. The Lord blessed the two with a beautiful daughter.