In "Jerrie's Jounrey," author Jerald R. Hightower offers her life story, along with poetry and short stories, to encourage and inspire others who are facing hardships of their own.

It all begins with a short memoir telling the intriguing story of how Hightower went from being a gorgeous black teenager dating older men to building a career in nursing on the West Coast.

The title refers to Jerald's experience with liver and kidney failure-and how, after five years on the transplant lists in her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, and her current home of San Francisco, California, her...