The Rose

About the Book

“The Rose” is a narrative journey covering four generations of the Baylord Family from rural North Carolina to Harlem New York in the early 1940’s A journey filled with visions and dreams of bright lights, fortune, and new beginnings in the fast paced streets of the new promise land; Harlem, New York. As the elder of his two younger siblings; David Baylord takes you on a thirty year journey filled with love, excitement, raw emotion, drama, intrigue, and mystery. Travel with him as he takes you through the swinging era of the 40’s, the growing pains of the 50’s, and the turbulent and volatile years of the 1960’s David’s narrative closely follows the intriguing and provocative life of his head—strong baby sister Rose after she decides to follow him and his younger brother, Lil’ Will to Harlem to fulfill her dream of becoming a dancer. Rose quickly learns the paths she’ll travel are not always straight, but filled with winding roads and sometimes, dead end streets. Frankie David Rawlerson displays an amazing gift of historical insight as he takes you back into a by-gone era and explores the detail lives and events of exciting people and places; as through he were personally an eye witness of a time preceding his years.

About the Author

Born in Harlem New York; Frankie David Rawlerson spent his childhood in Brooklyn and Queens in the fifties and sixties. After the death of his parents at a very early age; he was raised by his loving southern family which consisted of scores of uncles, aunts, and extended family. Among them were church folk, number runners, partiers, and some very colorful characters that became the inspiration for the writings he would later put to pen and paper. Vivid memories of Friday night card parties, Saturday night clubbing, and Sunday dinners at Momma’s house still spark loving memories. Although growing up in the cities of New York; it was the summer trips and vacations down south as child that nurtured his desire to one day return to his inherited roots. After High School, he served honorably as a Vietnam Combat Veteran in the US Army and returned to New York where he continued his education through the GI Bill at Fordham University. It was there that he discovered his gift for storytelling, writing short stories, and poetry. Relocating from New York in 1978, he and his young family lived in Atlanta Georgia and South Florida where he pursued a successful career in Marketing and Sales Management. Now retired, and living in South Florida; he decided to fulfil his dream of completing this exciting novel. Based on fond childhood memories and stories passed down by family elders and years of extensive historical research; he has created this monumental and epic classic; THE ROSE “Saga of an American Family”.