An incarcerated father, fractured family inspire Ashley C. Ford's 'Somebody's Daughter'

In “Sonny’s Blues,” James Baldwin tells readers there is no way not to suffer; the goal, Baldwin says, is not to drown in suffering. Recently, Hanif Abdurraqib dropped off a collection of essays showing how everyday acts of Black performance such as dancing, joking and singing shape American culture. Adding to this 14K Cuban link chain of coping mechanisms is Ashley C. Ford’s freshman publication, “Somebody’s Daughter: A Memoir” (Flatiron, 224 pp., ★★★ out of four).

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