Housewarming Gifts for the RELF SISTERS ❤️

I'm Dolen Perkins-Valdez, the author of Take My Hand, a novel published in 2022 that was inspired by the story of Minnie Lee and Mary Alice Relf. If you want to learn more about the story of the Relf sisters, click here .

Recently, the sisters moved out of public housing into their own home. They are now homeowners!! Isn't that wonderful? It is such a joy to witness their pride in their home. They even hope to welcome a pet dog as soon as they can. I am starting this GoFundMe so that we can purchase some of the essential items they still need. Here's what's on their list: coffee maker, towels, sheet sets, can opener, cookware, glassware, canister set, rugs, shower curtains, silverware, air fryer, trash can, mop, coasters. And finally: a BED for Mary.

Many of us take these basic essentials for granted, but the sisters need them. Will you help us reach our goal?

I spent six years working on this book, six years of going through newspapers and documents and interviewing eyewitnesses as I silently wondered how their story had been swept under the rug of history. These women are national heroines in my mind, and they deserve our respect and honor. And they are also just really nice people. Kind. Generous. Loving.

If you live in Alabama, I invite you to join me at Sweet Home Books in Wetumpka on Saturday, April 29 at 12:00 noon. Click here to register. The bookstore is generously donating a portion of the proceeds from book sales to this fundraiser. Shout-out to Sweet Home Books owner Diane Castro and Event Manager Tija Brown for making this happen!

In advance, I want to thank you for helping and for reading Take My Hand. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I believe in the power of books and readers to change the world, one small step at a time.

Gratefully yours,

Dolen