Secret Daughter: A Mixed-Race Daughter and the Mother Who Gave Her Away

June Cross

Jun 2021 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by LaQuita James

About this audiobook

June Cross was born in 1954 to Norma Booth, a glamorous, aspiring white actress, and James "Stump" Cross, a well-known black comedian. Sent by her mother to be raised by black friends when she was four years old and could no longer pass as white, June was plunged into the pain and confusion of a family divided by race. Secret Daughter tells her story of survival. It traces June's astonishing discoveries about her mother and about her own fierce determination to thrive. This is an inspiring testimony to the endurance of love between mother and daughter, a child and her adoptive parents, and the power of community.

About the author

June Cross is assistant professor of journalism at Columbia University. She has been a television producer for Frontline and the CBS Evening News and was a reporter, producer, and correspondent for PBS's MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour.

LaQuita James, a Tennessee native who resides in Nashville, is a certified speech-language pathologist, professional podcaster, voice-over artist, musical theater singer, and cellist. A professional award-winning actress, she has appeared in TV shows, feature films, and numerous regional and national voice-overs.