Bittersweet Memories is an intriguing memoir that begins when the author is visited by an angel as an infant. At age sixteen, she leaves her hometown of Milledgeville, GA. to enroll in Central State College in Wilberforce, Ohio. Being away from home for the first time at an early age, the young Emily is tempted into risk taking behavior that comes dangerously close to causing expulsion from the school that she loves. The story describes the struggles of a strong black woman who relies on faith in God to overcome many obstacles and temptations. She builds a career in social work that empowers young single mothers while caring for two children of her own and a disabled husband. This memoir also includes a riveting story of love and betrayal that is sure to appeal to readers who enjoy a great love story as well as those who are combining careers with family responsibilities. The major setting of the book is Detroit.