Well…I feel off the reading wagon, I blame the back to school and work craze. My 14th book read in 2021 is one that I read while on vacation visiting my best friend this summer. Yup, I am that far behind with sharing! Totally bummed about that but I am back on the reading train and I hope to keep it up for the next month.
For my 14th book I picked up The Mothers by Brit Bennett. Brit Bennett is an incredible author and I love her style of storytelling. This book was intense but one that was perfect for my plane rides to and from my friends house. Earlier this year I shared The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett which also a great read.
Book 14 Read In 2021
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
Set within a contemporary black community in Southern California, Brit Bennett’s mesmerizing first novel is an emotionally perceptive story about community, love, and ambition. It begins with a secret.
It is the last season of high school life for Nadia Turner, a rebellious, grief-stricken, seventeen-year-old beauty. Mourning her own mother’s recent suicide, she takes up with the local pastor’s son. Luke Sheppard is twenty-one, a former football star whose injury has reduced him to waiting tables at a diner. They are young; it’s not serious. But the pregnancy that results from this teen romance—and the subsequent cover-up—will have an impact that goes far beyond their youth. As Nadia hides her secret from everyone, including Aubrey, her God-fearing best friend, the years move quickly. Soon, Nadia, Luke, and Aubrey are full-fledged adults and still living in debt to the choices they made that one seaside summer, caught in a love triangle they must carefully maneuver, and dogged by the constant, nagging question: What if they had chosen differently? The possibilities of the road not taken are a relentless haunt.
My Review of The Mothers
This book is intense and full of emotion. When I first picked up the book I honestly thought The Mothers would be your typical mothering kind of characters but that was not the case. They were the narrators of the three main characters – Nadia, Luke, and Audrey. The mothers are those from the Upper Room, the older women who stand over their congregation, they sit in judgment, handing out opinions, conclusions, decisions and verdicts. The Mothers shared the pivotal points in their young lives. The plot moves through their young lives into adulthood and shares how their secrets and emotional bonds affect them into their adult lives.
While this is not a “Happily ever after” kind of story it is a story that I feel like is really important and valuable for people to read. It’s a sad story, but one that shares REAL life and the consequences of our decisions. This novel brings a different view into the church/religion culture that so many of us have experienced – judgement and hypocritical thinking all tied with a big bow on top.
This was a fast read for me and while I wouldn’t consider it a fun beach read, it was one that was perfect for traveling. I had trouble putting it down so it was a great airplane book! This book will get you thinking and find yourself in the shoes of Nadia, Luke and Audrey.
Ending The Year With Motivation!
My goal is going to be hard to meet…SO BEHIND! But I am not giving up. Plenty of time to jump back into my 50 pages a day routine. Honestly, sharing my book reviews here helps me stay on track and excited to keep turning those pages! I am always looking for new books to add to my reading list so please share some books you have really enjoyed recently. Make sure you check out my 2021 Reading List and Goal too. Maybe you can add some of my books to your list this year!
WHAT BOOK ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
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