This collection of short stories and poems by Alice Dunbar Nelson explores the complex and often conflicting experiences of African American women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Nelson's work is notable for its sharp wit and incisive social commentary, and she is particularly adept at exposing the hypocrisy of those who claim to believe in equality while upholding racist and sexist practices. Through her characters, Nelson explores the challenges of living in a society that values whiteness and maleness above all else, and she offers a powerful critique of the ways in which women are marginalized and oppressed. While Nelson's work is often humorous and even playful, it is also deeply serious, and she does not shy away from confronting the harsh realities of life for African Americans in her time.