A Piece of Cake: A Memoir
Encyclopedia
A Piece of Cake: A Memoir is an autobiography by Cupcake Brown
. The novel describes her descent into teenage prostitution
and drug addiction. Although doubt has been raised as to the veracity of much of what transpired in the novel, Brown maintains that the events in the book are real.
The story begins in January 1976 when the female protagonist
gives a short account of why her mother named her Cupcake. Cupcake Brown's mother died in 1976, when Cupcake was 11. Since her biological father only acquired custody because he wanted to receive social security checks, she and her brother were placed in an abusive stranger's foster home, along with several other children. Their foster mother, Diane, forced them to clean her entire house every day and beat them if she wasn't satisfied. Diane's daughter, Connie, was also slightly sadistic in terms of the way she derived pleasure from tormenting Cupcake and the other children who resided in the foster home. For example, she is quick to point out to Cupcake that she is the real child of Diane as opposed to being a foster child. In Connie's mind, she believes that her 'status' entitles her to cause trouble for the foster children in any way that her cruel mind will allow.
Within days of arriving, Cupcake is raped by her foster mother's nephew, Pete. Cupcake provides a frank account of how Pete thrusts a glass of rum and coke into her hand, tells her to drink it and how everything happened so fast afterwards. Although the drink makes Cupcake feel very good at first, she proceeds to relate what she describes as being a nightmare. She also decides that since God took her mother away from her as well as allowing the rape to happen to her, then He must not like Cupcake very much. She then decides that she hates God.
After months of unrelenting abuse, Cupcake runs away and ends up meeting a prostitute, Candy, who teaches her about life on the streets, how to smoke marijuana, and charge for sex as a prostitute. Cupcake 'turns her first trick' at the age of eleven. Her next foster father, under the guise of "cheerleading practice" traded her LSD
and cocaine
for oral sex
. She moved in with her great aunt in South Central Los Angeles, where she joined a gang. She narrowly survived a shooting when she was barely 16, and she left the gang. Her boyfriend taught her how to freebase and introduced her to crack. Soon, she was a "trash-can junkie," indulging in as many drugs as she could find. When she woke up behind a dumpster one morning, scarcely-dressed and more than near death, she admitted that she needed help.
Cupcake Brown
Cupcake Brown is an American author and a lawyer.-Biography:Cupcake Brown was erroneously named when a nurse misunderstood her mother's post-delivery request. She remembers a happy childhood until the age of eleven when her mother died of a seizure...
. The novel describes her descent into teenage prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
and drug addiction. Although doubt has been raised as to the veracity of much of what transpired in the novel, Brown maintains that the events in the book are real.
Plot summary
This novel provides a first-person account of Cupcake Brown's triumph over adversity. She largely adopts a colloquial writing style which makes the book a very approachable work for readers. She also has a tendency to end various chapters with sentences which direct the reader to imminent events in her life. For example, she concludes one of the chapters in her biography with: 'Little did I know, I really was leaving Lancaster for good.'The story begins in January 1976 when the female protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
gives a short account of why her mother named her Cupcake. Cupcake Brown's mother died in 1976, when Cupcake was 11. Since her biological father only acquired custody because he wanted to receive social security checks, she and her brother were placed in an abusive stranger's foster home, along with several other children. Their foster mother, Diane, forced them to clean her entire house every day and beat them if she wasn't satisfied. Diane's daughter, Connie, was also slightly sadistic in terms of the way she derived pleasure from tormenting Cupcake and the other children who resided in the foster home. For example, she is quick to point out to Cupcake that she is the real child of Diane as opposed to being a foster child. In Connie's mind, she believes that her 'status' entitles her to cause trouble for the foster children in any way that her cruel mind will allow.
Within days of arriving, Cupcake is raped by her foster mother's nephew, Pete. Cupcake provides a frank account of how Pete thrusts a glass of rum and coke into her hand, tells her to drink it and how everything happened so fast afterwards. Although the drink makes Cupcake feel very good at first, she proceeds to relate what she describes as being a nightmare. She also decides that since God took her mother away from her as well as allowing the rape to happen to her, then He must not like Cupcake very much. She then decides that she hates God.
After months of unrelenting abuse, Cupcake runs away and ends up meeting a prostitute, Candy, who teaches her about life on the streets, how to smoke marijuana, and charge for sex as a prostitute. Cupcake 'turns her first trick' at the age of eleven. Her next foster father, under the guise of "cheerleading practice" traded her LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
and cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
for oral sex
Oral sex
Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
. She moved in with her great aunt in South Central Los Angeles, where she joined a gang. She narrowly survived a shooting when she was barely 16, and she left the gang. Her boyfriend taught her how to freebase and introduced her to crack. Soon, she was a "trash-can junkie," indulging in as many drugs as she could find. When she woke up behind a dumpster one morning, scarcely-dressed and more than near death, she admitted that she needed help.
Reception
- "Booksellers, watch out--Cupcake's gonna sell like hotcakes." Publishers WeeklyPublishers WeeklyPublishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
. - "Brown's relentless litany of crimes and cruelties tests readers' endurance and at times makes it impossible to empathize with her younger self. Yet her life's amazing outcome goes a long way to justify her appealingly inspirational conclusion that maybe anything is possible." Kirkus ReviewsKirkus ReviewsKirkus Reviews is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus . Kirkus serves the book and literary trade sector, including libraries, publishers, literary and film agents, film and TV producers and booksellers. Kirkus Reviews is published on the first and 15th of each month...
. - (of the audio book) "Bahni Turpin is a good reader, but her voice is a bit too immature for many sections of this book. For public libraries and those with collections on addiction and recovery." Danna Bell-Russel, in Library JournalLibrary JournalLibrary Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
.