The Smell of Lilacs

The Smell of Lilacs: A Memoir by Michal Ramsey Smith provides a delightful and nostalgic peek into three years of her life as a girl growing up in a lively and loving family in Saginaw, Michigan.

The wonderful scent wafting from the lilac bush near the big front porch of her family’s home sets the tone for her lyrical storytelling that focuses on the joys of cooking with her mother, watching her father regale customers in his barber shop, and experiencing memorable moments with family members and friends.

If you love family, food, and fun memories, then you will love this book. Michal’s poetic storytelling sweeps you back to a simpler time when life through a girl’s eyes seemed larger-than-life and every detail mattered.

This beautiful tribute to the rich cultural experience of a Black family in the Midwest during the 1950s is a heartwarming chronicle of all that a family should be.

Here’s what Michal writes about her story:

“The smell of lilacs takes me home. Every single time. Home, home. That place where my heart warms and my soul sings. Two lilac trees thrived at the place of my childhood. One bloomed adjacent to the big, red front porch; the other leaned gracefully on the windows at the side of the house. In full bloom, their pale purple flowers reached up and out, gently wafting in the breeze, creating the smell that was home. It was always just there, in the mix, as they say. The mix of family, the swirl of life. My life. I rarely cut the flowers as a child or adult. Once taken from their roots, the blossoms fade and the smell disappears. Lesson learned. Hold tight to your roots. They are your strength.”

Michal Ramsey Smith, author, teacher, fitness fanatic and traveler was born and raised in Saginaw, Michigan, the daughter of Charles Otis and Zannett Clopton Ramsey. She earned her B.A. from Western Michigan University, and M.A. from Saginaw Valley State University. She retired after 35 years from Saginaw Public Schools in 2014 and moved to Detroit in 2017. Although she has traveled to other cities, countries and continents, her first love is New Orleans and she spends as much time as possible there. Michal and Rocky, her husband of more than 50 years are the parents of one daughter Ashleigh Smith Spann.