Saturday, July 16, 2016

The Mothers

The Mothers by Brit Bennett.  288 pages.  e-galley read, courtesy of Edelweiss; book is due out in October, 2016

The Mothers know a good secret from a bad one, and notice what goes on in the lives of others.  In this contemporary Black community in California, it all begins with a secret.  Nadia is a high school senior, mourning her mother’s recent death, and smitten with the local pastor’s son, Luke.  It’s not a serious romance, but then takes a turn when a pregnancy (and subsequent cover-up) happen.  The impact sends ripples through the community, reaching beyond their youth and into adulthood.  What if they had made different choices?  The Mothers ask us to contemplate this question, as well as how our decisions shape our lives.


There are multiple viewpoints in the story, which can be at times tricky to keep track of.  The collective voice of the Mothers in the community is a voice unto itself, narrating and guiding the reader through the story.  I found this to be a thoughtful book, and liked how there were differences in the feel between voices in the story. 

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