A review by em_reads_books
The World According to Fannie Davis: My Mother's Life in the Detroit Numbers by Bridgett M. Davis

4.0

This book had been on my radar for some time after I read Davis's novels, but after reading the fictional depiction of the numbers in Trouble the Saints I finally decided to actually pick it up and learn something about the real thing. Some of the history in here was really eye-opening; I hadn't realized the extent to which the official state lotteries came about to exploit and shut down the informal Black economy of the numbers.

In terms of the personal history, I really admire Davis's way of writing in such a straightforward, plainspoken style that nonetheless carries a lot of emotional weight. Her mother's generosity and refusal to settle for anything but the good life she (and everyone in her orbit) deserved shines through.