The Ditchdigger's Daughters A Black Family's Astonishing Success Story

by Thornton, Yvonne S.

• ISBN13: 9780758201164
• ISBN10: 0758201168
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-01-01
• Publisher: Kensington

Summary

In "The Ditchdigger's Daughters," Dr. Yvonne S. Thornton offers a loving portrait of her father, a ditchdigger in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, whose pervasive common sense, folk wisdom, and untutored but right-on insights gave his children their road map to a better life. For this Dafina Hardcover edition, Dr. Thornton has written a new Introduction that adds insight and perspective to the original work.

Donald Thornton, with the help of his equally remarkable wife, Tass, a cleaning woman, cajoled, prodded, and motivated his six daughters to strive to achieve the seemingly impossible goals he set for them. Donald dreamed that all six would become doctors; and indeed, each of the Thornton daughters has gone on to be a successful, independent and accomplished woman: two are doctors; one became a dentist, one a lawyer, one a nurse, and one a court stenographer.

"The Ditchdigger's Daughters" is also the story of an astute businessman who formed his bright and talented girls into a rhythm-and-blues band that played Harlem's Apollo Theatre and won a recording contr

Author Biography

Yvonne S. Thornton, M.D., is a double Board-certified specialist in obstetrics, gynecology, and maternal-fetal medicine. She received her medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She is presently a senior perinatologist at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City

Table of Contents

Introduction	vii
The Beginning	3	(13)
The House That Donald Built	16	(16)
Sweet and Sour Notes	32	(17)
The Thornettes	49	(14)
Show Biz	63	(16)
Weekend Dates	79	(18)
The Band's Wagon	97	(17)
The Break	114	(14)
One Monkey Don't Stop the Show	128	(20)
P & S	148	(19)
Dr. Thornton, Dr. Thornton...	167	(17)
Till Death Do Us Part	184	(18)
A Labor of Love	202	(13)
Navy Blue and Black	215	(13)
Civilians and Civility	228	(19)
The Gospel According to Donald	247