The Mothers

Brit Bennett writes with a steady hand as she immerses us into the minds and lives of three people. Nadia and Aubrey are haunted to womanhood by maternal abandonment. They are friends as well as rivals for the affection of the same man. Luke would have made a mother out of Nadia had they chosen to parent, and he eventually makes a wife and mother of Aubrey. His mother is the first lady of the church that plays a prominent role in their lives. The mothers in Bennett's exceptional novel are hurt and betrayed by callous men and by each… show more.

In a certain light, Nadia Turner has much to apologize for. Pain, grief, and alienation throb in the background of some of her teenage decisions, which are rife with consequences that ripple through generations. Though various characters try to shame Nadia, box her in, and wield their judgment, they don’t quench her spirit as she forges ahead–imperfectly, messily–to find her way and finally break free of secrets and the sickness they bring. The way The Mothers collectively narrate sections of this story makes clear how the actions of individuals reverberate in a community, for better or worse.

A young couple of star-crossed lovers: the son of the minister, and the daughter of a woman who committed suicide. And at the helm of their relationship is the church community, steering their path. This book brings up a lot of questions of who gets a say, and who is worthy, all brought to you by Bennet’s gorgeous writing.

In The Mothers, Nadia is seventeen, pregnant, and closely scrutinized by the church women of her community. The novel focuses less on the pregnancy and more on the repercussions of it as Nadia and those involved grow older. The many layers of this book—mothers, daughters, infertility, suicide, secrets—made it one I wanted to read in one sitting. The writing is incandescent, with a gorgeous melody to the sentences. This book stayed with me; long after the last page, I was still lost in the story.