It's Jacob!: My Name Is Jacob! What's Yours?

This book traces the lives of the author and other African-American women she interviewed about their African-American fathers.

The author states that the most powerful relationship an African-American woman will ever have with a male is the one she has or doesn't have with her father. Whether present or absent Houston-Little asserts: fathers impact their daughter's lives in ways that sometimes defy description.

If young African-American girls grow up with a loving, involved father in her life, the young girl seems to do well and lead a balanced life. She doesn't appear to be haunted by serious emotional and physical illnesses.

While on the other hand, when a young girl does not have any relationship with her father or one that she perceives is less than adequate, serious issues may arise. Often a relationship that is perceived as less than adequate is as devastating as not having a relationship with her father at all.

If a young girl's relationship with her father is non-existent or less than adequate, it is at this point that the "drama" appears to begin.

"Drama" refers to a series of actions, reactions that the young girl, adolescent, soon to be adult female initiates and responds to a result of her perception.

Perceptions that lead to "drama" are that the young girl in question believes her father does not care/love her. She may also believe that she can't trust anyone, especially men. No matter how hard she tries, she may also believe she'll never be good enough in any tasks she undertakes.

These different "scenes", frames of reference affect the young girl and all those with whom she interacts. It's almost as though the young girl has a script from which she takes her cues. Often no one with whom she interacts even has a