WHEN YOUR HAND IS IN THE LION'S MOUTH is a narrative non-fiction told in forty-two stories that is a father-daughter memoir.

The foundational paternal love, wisdom and life lessons shared can father us all, and at 96 years young, he keeps inspiring and teaching us with his foundational practical wisdom. Not often enough do we hear of great black fathers in our stories or media, one that goes beyond stereotype, shining a light on a devoted man who lifts and enlightens. Green is one of those men. The simplicity and complexity of the life into which he was born informed the wisdom and worldliness he would gain.

Born as the second youngest of nineteen children in a rural northwest Louisiana farming community, the lion of the Jim Crow South loomed large and oppressively in the 1920s. But, Green Whitaker had the beautiful gift of a family devoted to each other to guide him through. That familial devotion and grounding grew him into a man of great integrity and grit whose love melded with the faith seeds planted in his quest for a piece of the American dream.

He continues to be a beloved father, uncle and friend, as well as a father figure to more than his own children, serving as a mentor and willing role model for his entire community and more. His love and nurturing gave me the confidence to pursue a career in entertainment. His example is the salve our souls need; a re-parenting from a father figure whose voice and simple wisdom can nourish and support the child within each of us. Green is the last surviving of his large family and is the portal to his family's history and legacy.

It is not an academic book on parenting, but a sharing, a recollection of unpolished gems of wisdom about how to have better values, sharing the ways he to be more kind, loving and honest to foster a rich life. It gives us a glimpse into the life and earned wisdom of a distinguished black father named Green, and how he shares his practical life gems with his children, his community, and especially his youngest daughter, Nita.