Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream


Non-Fiction - Memoir
338 Pages
Reviewed on 07/31/2020
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite

Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream by Dr. Frank L. Douglas is the autobiography of its author's extraordinary life. Douglas' memoir begins with the introduction of his turbulent and abusive upbringing in a home where he always felt an outsider in a country ruled by outsiders. There was no place for an ambitious young black man whose youth was blighted by poverty in mid-20th century colonial Guyana. Through perseverance, intelligence, and an incredible amount of grit, Douglas rose above systemic racism and subjugation in an ascent that transformed his life and all those who benefited from his extensive work and contributions to a wide-ranging STEM field and innovation with pharmacology.

Dr. Frank L. Douglas' journey, as told in a straightforward narrative in the first-person, is conveyed in great detail in Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream. I found the precarious balancing act of family, work, and faith to be singularly notable wherein any of these three areas may have tempted Douglas to abandon his moral compass. While the memoir places a heavy focus on milestones throughout Douglas' education and career, it was the personal trials that I found to be most interesting. There is a string of familial losses that were hard to read through in the author's tempestuous past and his own personal struggles connecting the responsibility of family with matters of personal faith. I admit I was stung a bit by some of Douglas' broad views on topics, but overall I enjoyed the armchair adventure I received in the sharing of the author's life. I believe the book will be treasured by his family and descendants for generations to come.