Raised by the Mistress: My Mother, Her Lover & Me

When Wayne Lampkin, a state correctional officer and former Marine, came into Valli Barnes life in the fall of 1982, he was a 33-year-old man with a step-son, three children from a previous marriage, and a new wife and infant son. By all accounts, it was a messy situation, particularly considering that Valli, with her two children, Jamilah and Kenny, had recently gone through her own divorce. Despite all of the hurt and pain that their relationship would cause their loved ones, and themselves, Valli and Wayne fell deeply in love for 20 long, tumultuous years, all while Wayne lived a double life as a married man.In RAISED BY THE MISTRESS the hot-button topic of infidelity is explored in a way that forces the reader to understand just how multi-layered and extensive the perils of cheating can truly be for the entire family. In what is sure to be one of the most talked about memoirs of the year, RAISED BY THE MISTRESS offers a uniquely personal, deeply intimate look into the complicated past of a family torn apart by two people who fell in love under the wrong circumstances.For perhaps the first time ever, RAISED BY THE MISTRESS features, alongside the viewpoints of Valli and Wayne, the poignant voice of Valli's daughter, Jamilah, whose perspective on her mother's relationship is laced with disapproval, perplexity and pure frustration, particularly as she helplessly watched her mother simultaneously battle with alcoholism.