Soul Survivor explores the depths of human emotions, both real and imagined. That any of us reach adulthood in one piece, emotionally or physically is a miracle of no small proportion. That any of us reach adulthood to contribute back to society and become highly respected in the community is truly a gift of time and place. future in the hope that tomorrow will be better than today. Soul Survivor is nothing less than a story of triumph. Little Mary Reese spent her childhood living, working and playing in a funeral home. Her mother, Mrs. Mary (Big Mary) Reese, was well known and respected in the African-American community in Los Angeles through the operation of a prestigious black funeral home. Little Mary's story tells what really happens behind the embalming room doors- the light and dark side of life. Soul Survivor is both humorous and mischievous, and talks of sex, murder, voodoo, preachers and deviate gravediggers. Lou Rawls, Sam Cooke, Billy Preston and Johnny Cochran. often disparagingly referred to as high-yellow. During racial tensions of the '50s and '60s, Little Mary found her hue to be a major issue but not her only problem. Mary's mother caused her to endure life threatening situations due to her drinking and wild ways. Little Mary's childhood experiences, the mental and physical abuse faced each day, led her to believe that her only true friends were the dead people in the funeral home. Indeed, Little Mary received a BS degree (Be Smart) at an early age. It was the only way she knew to survive. and in the end, truly a story of a Soul Survivor.