Empress Jones

Empress is about a Haitian girl growing up in Brooklyn who befriends her two neighbors, Kat and Slim. Their family backgrounds are different, but their friendship will help them deal with puberty, boys, street violence and sexual abuse. Their friendship will allow them to deal with certain issues that young girls, who are isolated and lack friendship, have to deal with on their own. Their family backgrounds also give them strength and insight about what is going on around them. This book also gives insight about young girls growing up in an urban community and how things can affect their personal happiness, growth and the choices they make. François was raised in New York City. She was born to Haitian parents. She graduated from John Jay College of Criminal Justice because she wanted to work in a field where she can help others and further understand human behavior. She spent some time in Haiti, then moved to Philadelphia as an adult. In Philadelphia she worked in the mental health and delinquent fields. She earned a MHS. She also volunteers and enjoys working with battered women. François enjoys traveling. Her favorite quote is "no one understands anything unless it happens to them." She loves being West Indian American because of the culture, diversity and she's allowed to enjoy mainstream culture and her subculture. It allows her to be more open-minded. She loves writing poetry.