El Doe Ray Doe (Who Knew?) (PB) (2015)

El Doe Ray Doe (Who Knew?) tells the story of an underprivileged black youth named Wilbert who grows up in a Southern city in the 1950s and 1960s. There he experiences racism and poverty along with mental and physical abuse at the hands of a father who is incapable of love or the willingness to show it. Although isolated in the boundaries of a small neighborhood, Wilbert receives help from other members of his beloved family.

Wilbert does not understand why blacks are being treated the way they are and why the elders do not fight harder for their rights. Through the teachings of Big Mama, he begins to understand why things are the way they are and probably will not change anytime soon. Just when things seemed to make a turn for the better, in a period of less than a week, he will lose two of the most influential women in his life, creating a downward spiral that is only rectified with the help of a beloved friend and classmate, and a family he will never forget.

About the Author

Wilbur A. Carrigan grew up in a small southern city in Arkansas. He was drafted in army and served as an X-ray technician. After he was honorably discharged in 1974, Wilbur moved to Detroit and worked for GM.

After retiring from GM in 2000 at age 48, Wilbur moved to Chicago, got a managerial job at a local golf course and pursued his lifelong dream of getting a Class A PGA card. After two years, Wilbur realized his playing time was reduced to a couple rounds a week. Wilbur's idea of retirement was to play golf, but in pursuit of a card, his playing skills were diminishing because of a lack of practice and playing time, so he gave up the dream. With retirement and the long winters in Chicago, Wilbur decided to pursue another lifelong dream to write and become a published novelist.

Wilbur is married and they have a son and daughter.