Why read The World According to Fannie Davis?

Book cover of The World According to Fannie Davis: My Mother's Life in the Detroit Numbers

Book description

As seen on the Today Show: This true story of an unforgettable mother, her devoted daughter, and their life in the Detroit numbers of the 1960s and 1970s highlights "the outstanding humanity of black America" (James McBride).

In 1958, the very same year that an unknown songwriter named Berry Gordy…

Explore

Topics

Genres

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The World According to Fannie Davis as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Jenny Jaeckel

Author

Both memoir and communal history, this book is an homage to the author’s extraordinary mother, who became an entrepreneur in an underground economy during a time when virtually all other opportunities were denied her because of the color of her skin.

Against all odds, Fannie Davis uplifted her family and community by earning her living as a numbers runner, supporting Black life in the time of red lining--a story that illuminates the tragedy and triumph inherent in such an enterprise.

I loved this book because it taught me about an important slice of American history and because it is a…

From Jenny's 3 favorite reads in 2023.