Book Review: The Naked Truth: Young, Beautiful, and (HIV) Positive
by Marvelyn Brown and Courtney Martin
Ecco (Aug 19, 2008)
Nonfiction, Paperback, 233 pages
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Book Reviewed by Kam Williams
’I was born Marvelyn Brown, a little black girl in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 7, 1984, but I wouldn’t understand the significance of my existence until it was threatened a couple of decades later. At just 19 years of age, I was unsure what was killing me and, even more disturbing, unwilling to fight.
This is the story of my still young, wild, and, at times, reckless ride of a life. It is a cautionary tale of how I discovered self-love, self-respect, and responsibility and began traveling the globe seeking a truth in hopes of saving the lives of others. It is the story of my marvelous life.’
’Excerpted from the Prologue (page 4)
On July 17, 2003, Marvelyn Brown’s life changed forever. That
was the day the vivacious Nashville native learned she was HIV+.
She had been infected by her boyfriend, a 24 year-old man she
only refers to as Prince Charming. For not only had the creep
swept the unsuspecting teen off her feet, but he’d hidden the
fact that he was also infected with the lethal virus and that he
was sleeping around with lots of other women, too.
Sadly, Marvelyn had only become sexually-active relatively
recently, having been a bit of a tomboy till she blossomed into
a beauty around 18. She’d been a track and basketball star in
high school, so between sports and her overprotective parents,
she didn't have many opportunities to get into trouble before
she went off to college.
However, she dropped out during her freshman year, returned
home, and began working two jobs, and that is when she met
Prince Charming. Of course, following her diagnosis, she wished
she had always used protection during intercourse, especially
given the way she was ostracized and her reputation was
tarnished when word of her condition spread around the
neighborhood like wildfire.
Marvelyn
initially felt like her life was almost over, given her ensuing
abandonment by friends and family members expecting her imminent
demise, and given her dramatic weight loss and other symptoms
which made her feel lousy. But with the help of medication and
counseling, she soon was able to mange the condition and came to
realize that AIDS need not be seen as a death sentence.
The Naked Truth: Young Beautiful and (HIV) Positive is an
inspirational memoir which chronicles Marvelyn’s evolution from
frightened victim to fearless activist. So, this brave young
lady, now 24, deserves considerable credit for going public and
thus putting a face on the generally hidden and denied disease,
and thereby letting young girls know how easy it is to contract.
After all, education is of prime importance in this day and age
when African-Americans now account for the majority of the new
AIDS infections in the United States. A bittersweet biography
you might want to share with any impressionable youngster
coming-of-age before they get involved in risky behavior with
the potential to turn them into another statistic overwhelmed
with regret.
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Watch an HIV PSA feauring Marvelyn Brown