I just finished reading Perfect Peace by Danial Black.  This is a historical fiction book published by St. Martin's Press in 2010.

This is the heart-breaking story of Emma Jean Peace, the mother of a fast growing family living in rural Arkansas in the 1920-1950's.
Emma Jean HAS to have a girl, after having 6 boys, she just knows her 7th child will be the girl she needs.  When she gives birth to another boy, she decided to "make" her own girl since God wouldn't give her one.  This starts the journey of Emma Jean and her daughter Perfect.  She wants to lavish on her daughter all the love and attention, and gifts she never received as a child.  Her own mother abused her and ridiculed her just because she was born too black.  She always dreamed of someday having her own daughter so she could love her and give her all the things her own mother had never given her.  Emma Jean was a strong willed woman and always got her way.  Unfortunately she didn't realize the ramifications of what she was doing, and how it would effect her family for the rest of their lives.

I loved this book and the style it was written going from the past to the future and the present to let the reader know just how much harm Emma Jean did to her family.  All she wanted was a little girl to love, and instead abused her own children, and possibly caused the most pain to her own self.  I gave this book 5 stars, and it will resonate with me for a long time to come.