This book focuses on African American nontraditional college students, recognizing that reentry college women are not a monolithic group and that African American reentry women have unique concerns as well as concerns that are universally shared by all nontraditional women students. The book depicts college through the eyes of a segment of this group, those women existing on the margins of the ivy. It chronicles the experiences of eight African American women, using their own words to relate their painful, joyous, and often humorous experiences. The women come from varied backgrounds, age ranges, and experiences. All of the women reside in the South, and most of their education occurred in the southeastern United States. The book shares the women's recommendations and insights regarding the process of schooling. It provides not only an analysis of women's issues in higher education, but also a picture of race concerns that still loom in present-day academia. An annotated bibliography is included. (Contains 57 references.) (SM)