Coming Up: A Boy's Adventures in 1940s Colorado Springs - Softcover

"The Pikes Peak region is filled with natural beauty, but too often we overlook the people that inhabit the region—especially people who have been marginalized or forgotten. Lucy’s book reminds us of the richness, the power, and the impact of the contributions by black people that have called this area home. The Pikes Peak region is stunning—not only because of the mountains, but because of the people who have given it spirit, life, and art. Lucy’s book reminds us that black is indeed beautiful!"
—Dr. Mike Edmonds, Vice President of Student Life/Dean of Students at Colorado College

“I can't imagine anyone better than Lucy Bell to reconstruct Colorado Springs in the 1940s and tell the story of Oliver Bell, a young black boy facing discrimination and segregation. Relying on her background as an educator and historian, Lucy has exhaustively researched the era through living histories, manuscripts and period photos. Further, Lucy is a skilled storyteller and writer able to weave together compelling anecdotes of her beloved Oliver's life with factual details of Colorado Springs as it existed at the time. I have eagerly awaited this book.”
—Bill Vogrin, Writer and journalist, Side Streets columnist for Colorado Springs Gazette

“In a book destined to become a classic, author Lucy Bell has opened a window on Colorado Springs’ colorful history that will delight readers young and old. Enhanced by the sensitively rendered illustrations of Linda Martin, COMING UP traces the coming-of-age experiences of Oliver Bell in the early 1940s. With pages full of mischievous boyhood adventures, unexpected consequences, and ever watchful neighbors; each chapter has a surprise ending, historic photos of the actual people in the chapter and fascinating information about relevant topics of the day. From the hidden tunnels under Saint Francis hospital to the untold secrets of an era when courageous citizens fought the scourge of the KKK, COMING UP is a tribute to Colorado Springs’ hard-working families who came to the city to give their children a chance at life in schools that welcomed all of them. Vivid, poignant, and always thought-provoking, COMING UP is a treasure."
—Kathleen F. Esmiol, Author of Everybody Welcome: A Memoir of Fannie Mae Duncan and the Cotton Club