A memoir of intergenerational friendship and the impressive journeys of two remarkable women, The Wind at My Back captures the importance of mentorship, of shared history, and of respecting the past to ensure a stronger future.
The friendship between two extraordinary Black women forms the book’s core. In warm, plain-spoken prose, Copeland details Wilkinson’s bravery ... We also feel the transcendent joy that floods [Copeland] when she dances; the juxtaposition of ballet’s exquisiteness with its particular toll on Black dancers is startling. This book is a generous, sincere love letter to Wilkinson, who died in 2018, but it’s also a love letter to liberation ... This bighearted memoir is an antidote to that marginalization.
This is a heartfelt tribute to Wilkinson, who passed away in 2018, and an acknowledgment of her remarkable life and career. Copeland has gracefully accepted the challenge to continue to improve dance—and humanity—in honor of Wilkinson and all those who follow her.
