Do I Dare Disturb the Universe‪?‬

"Lyles paints a detailed, thoughtful picture of race relations in the 1970s . . . Highly recommended." — Small Press Review


A memoir of race and education, this is the story of a girl who grew up and out of the Cleveland projects in the 1960s and '70s. 


While growing up in Cleveland, young Charlise Lyles experienced turbulent events including race riots and a neighborhood murder. Yet she was inspired to appreciate literature at a young age, and she spent her days reading—and also often searching for the estranged father who taught her that love of learning. 


Despite starting in the “slow class” at an aging school on Cleveland's east side, Lyles had a thirst for knowledge and drive for success that would open a door to new opportunities. Granted a scholarship to a prestigious prep school in a wealthy suburb, the vibrant teenager finds herself presented with a bewildering set of new challenges—and a new direction in life. 


"A memoir told through evocative language and with clear-eyed precision. Lyles writes about her experiences with both America’s mid-20th-century urban racial dysfunction and her own intellectual blooming . . . She moves back and forth with grace and an ever-growing awareness of how her parents created a smart, well-read girl in spite of poverty . . . This is essential reading for all American teens." — School Library Journal


"Lyles speaks to the experiences many of us have of growing up Black. She touches on issues of having an estranged parent, the wealth of living in poverty, navigating two very different social universes and finding one’s proper place." — Call & Post


"Blacks and whites sharing the same schools are a foregone conclusion in the modern day, but as recent as forty years ago, major challenges were faced . . . [A] story of arriving in an extreme majority white prep school during such a time it was completely unheard of. Facing a new set of challenges while maintaining a desire to learn, Lyles’ story is a moving one indeed . . . A solid piece on those who faced challenges during the civil rights era." — Midwest Book Review


"A fascinating literary memoir from the viewpoint of a little girl who did dare to disturb the universe she was born into . . . Lyles has given a vivid picture, one laced with generosity, humor and insight, of growing up poor without giving up." — The Morning Journal