In both poetry and fiction, Thomas conjures up stories of African-American heritage, family history, and universal truths. Her language is a compilation of the sounds, imagery, and rhythms of her Oklahoma roots, church-going days, and California connections where she worked side-by-side with Hispanics in the fields. Thomas's background as a migrant farm worker in rural Oklahoma and California thus supplies her with the prolific stock of characters and situations that fill her novels, while her love affair with language began with the words and songs she heard in church.
A Country Upbringing
Thomas grew up in Ponca City, Oklahoma, a small, dusty town where she lived across from the school. This place has found a permanent home in Thomas's mind. "Although now I live half a continent away from my hometown," Thomas related in Something about the Author Autobiography Series (SAAS), "when it comes to my writing I find that I am often still there." She has set several of her novels in her hometown, including Marked by Fire, Bright Shadow, The Golden Pasture, and House of Light. Thomas loved school as a child and became anxious whenever it appeared she might be late--she didn't want to miss anything.
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