Meet the Author: June Cross on "Secret Daughter: A Mixed Race Daughter and the Mother Who Gave Her Away" October 19, 2006

Set largely in the 1960s and 1970s, this intimate look back at Cross’ fractured childhood is a compelling portrait of the two different worlds she inhabited. The relationship between June’s mother, Norma and her father, James Cross (of the well-known black vaudeville duo Stump and Stumpy) fell apart when she was very young. When four-year-old June’s dark skin and kinky hair made it clear that she couldn’t “pass,” her mother gave her away to black family friends in Atlantic City. June watched as her mother determinedly tried to fit her into her new life as the Hollywood wife of actor Larry Storch, of F-Troop fame. An articulate memoir of self-discovery, Secret Daughter is the moving story of a journey to understand identity and the past, yet it is also an inspiring testimony to the powerful love between a mother and a daughter. Cross is now a Columbia professor. This is a poignant follow-up to Cross' 1996 Emmy Award-winning documentary.

Sponsored by the Prince George's County Memorial Library System. This event is free and open to the public.

Official Website: http://www.pgcmls.info