The Mothers: A Novel Paperback – Large Print, October 11, 2016

Anyway, I am purposely reading this book VERY SLOOOOOOWLY in order to savor it. As much as I enjoyed her other popular book, THE VANISHING HALF, I like this one even more! The mothers referenced in the title are the mothers in a prayer circle at a black church where a young girl is on their prayer list.Maybe I can show instead of tell when I offer these excerpts: p. 37 [I love when the author says more by saying less, and this is a example]: We pray.Not without ceasing as Paul instructs, but often enough. And on the very next page: We didn't think of ourselves as "prayer warriors." A man must've come up with that term---men think anything difficult is war. But prayer is more delicate than battle, especially intercessory prayer. More than just a notion, taking up the burdens of someone else, often someone you don't even know. You close your eyes and listen to a request. Then you have to slip inside their body. You are Tracy Robinson, burning for whiskey. you are Cindy Harris's husband, searching your wife's phone. You are Earl Vernon washing dirty knots out of your strung-out daughter's hair.If you don't become them, even for a second, a prayer is nothing but words.And on pages 38 and 39, some outstanding short dialogue:"Look what she done.""Who done?""That Turner girl.""Which one is that?""You know the one.""Red-bone. Clear-eyes like.""Oh. That girl?""What other Turner girl is there?"I marvel at how clean the structure is, and how complete everything seems as the story moves forward. For lack of a better way to explain it, I would say that story grows from a central event. Luke and Nadia have sex and she becomes pregnant. She wants to get an abortion. He pays for it with money, then pays for it emotionally the rest of his life, and of course, she does, too. I did not expect to see the author write about Luke and what his decision cost him. I expected him to be written off as a kind of ancillary villain, but Brit Bennett even has compassion for him.I have finished this very satisfying read, and I feel glad I have the time to further digest what has gone on here. Many times a story will feel clumsy to me because loose ends will be prevalent. In this story, the only thing that doesn't get explained or resolved in some way is why Nadia's mother committed suicide. The author demonstrates so much control over her story that I am grateful for this excerpt from page 270:In the beginning, there was the word, and the word brought about the end.Buy it, read it. You won't be disappointed.

Sadness. Grief. Loss. Uncertainty. Disappointment. Betrayal.The Mothers is an absolutely riveting read but it probably is not the best book to read in the sixth month of a pandemic where everyone is out of sorts. Nadia's mother has killed herself and now Nadia and her father, Robert, attempt to move on. Their church, Upper Room, serves as a cornerstone for Robert but teenage Nadia finds no comfort there. Her brief relationship with Luke, the pastor's son, results in an unwanted pregnancy which alters everything for Nadia and for so many others.Meanwhile young Aubrey, whose mother believed her boyfriend before her own daughter, seeks peace and finds some with the Upper Room. Nadia and Aubrey's friendship becomes the solid base for both girls even as Nadia moves across the country. But, there is no smooth and easy path for either young woman as the years pass and the hidden truths come out.This book made me sad and contemplative of how one's life can be irrevocably altered by a mistake or by a half-truth. Bennett is an extraordinary writer and I read this book after The Vanishing Half. Her character development is exceptional but their lives are unsettled - not miserable but never happy.

The storyline was not bad at all, however the "f" booms were not necessary in the storyline and it spoilt it for me, hence my rating

In the opening pages of  The Mothers: A Novel , we are introduced to the hovering presence of the older women in the church, called “the mothers,” members of what is designated the Upper Room. The women oversee the parishioners…and they gossip. Sometimes they get things wrong, but they never stop.Set in Oceanside, CA, in a black community, the church is definitely at the center of the action, but for Nadia Turner, a seventeen-year-old girl headed for bigger things, already accepted into her college in Michigan, there are moments of rebellion. And love. With the pastor’s son, Luke Sheppard, whose mother already gives Nadia the stank-eye. But she also doesn’t say much, as poor Nadia’s mother committed suicide six months before…and her father is someone who does good deeds for the church.Then something happens that will sever the bond between Nadia and Luke, and shortly thereafter, she meets and connects with another motherless girl, Aubrey Evans, who lives with her sister Mo and her gay partner Kasey. Aubrey could be portrayed as the exact opposite of Nadia, on the surface, since Mrs. Sheppard has taken her under her wing. And makes her approval clear.We follow each of the characters for a few years, as Nadia goes off to college, then law school, with only the occasional visits home. In one such visit, she and Luke connect again, and share some secrets from that time in their past.What will happen to the two of them? Will Luke’s new path in life challenge what they once had, and what they might find again? Could Aubrey become the one who severs the bond forever?What great characters! I loved seeing where they went and what they did. The multiple narrators took us back and forth in time, showing us events that we could not have imagined. When someone overheard the pastor arguing with Nadia’s father, that secret would become fodder for the mothers, the overseers, those who would forever keep track of the secrets, and what would become of the young women in their “charge.” In the end, I loved this passage, in the voice of those mothers, sharing thoughts about Nadia and her one last return home: “We see the span of her life unspooling in colorful threads and we chase it, wrapping it around our hands as more tumbles out. She’s her mother’s age now. Double her age. Our age. You’re our mother. We’re climbing inside of you.”Beautifully written, the author has become another favorite. Five stars.

Very nicely written and highly enjoyable, very much a recommended read.

It also dives into the true meaning of community and loyalty in friendship. With beautifully penned emotion and an honest portrayal of the ramifications of our choices, The Mothers is a spectacular debut.After her mother dies, 17-year-old Nadia is on a rebellious path and ends up in a secret relationship with the pastor’s son, Luke. But after an unexpected pregnancy and concealment, Nadia and Luke’s relationship changes. She then finds comfort in Aubrey, the quiet and shy girl from church. Both girls are growing up without their mothers, and the book follows the relationships of the trio from the adolescent years to adulthood. That’s where the story really begins.I read The Vanishing Half before The Mothers, and thoroughly enjoyed both. Brit Bennett's writing style has this addictive quality that makes for an effortless read. I like that she doesn’t shy away from imperfect and egocentric thinking. Both sides of the medal are explore in this novel that is essentially a human character study. Her tone is confident and matter-of-fact but sympathetic and comforting. She has engaging characters and throws them into a web of complexities, which in turn creates a nuanced and layered story.Nadia, Luke and Aubrey are brilliantly developed as they mature through the novel. While the core narrative surrounds a love triangle, there are so many more layers to the lives of this trio that Bennett masterfully explores without losing the primary focus. The characters are authentically selfish, driven by regrets and desires. With the addition of small town secrets, The Mothers truly is an intriguing and enthralling read.I love that some chapters of The Mothers are narrated by the Church Mothers. It gives another meaning to the book's title, and provides an alternative perspective. Additionally, it exposes how the ‘holier-than-thou’ attitude can be damaging, especially when it comes to defining morals in a tight knit community. The story is realistic and true, but still feels like fiction. It's easy to get swept up in the climatic events and emotional dialogue, which only adds to its power as a touching debut.

I coudn’t give 5 stars on this book because i felt annoyed with the story. I am not satisfied, i just read it fast to the point that i wanted to finish right away. This book was not for me..

It's well written . I really enjoyed reading this story about choices sometimes difficult to make and secrets that can destroy life.

«La carga de lo perdido es siempre más pesado que lo que queda.»Este libro gira principalmente en torno al tema de la maternidad, pero también toca muchas cosas como el feminismo, el aborto y los desafíos de ser negra en la Norte América contemporánea. Comienza con una adolescente embarazada que tiene que tomar decisiones imposibles sobre su futuro, y la historia realmente despega desde ahí.Durante la novela encontramos anhelo de amor de todo tipo: maternal, romántico, incluso el amor de buenos amigxs, anhelo de respuestas, anhelo de encontrar el lugar en el mundo y anhelo de la verdad. Pero conseguir lo que crees que quieres no siempre hace que las cosas salgan bien.La escritura de este libro es estimulante y te hace pensar en las luchas de la maternidad. Me encantó la voz y la narración y cómo Bennett es capaz de mantener la historia que quiere contar en el transcurso de una década y con unos personajes muy bien desarrollados.La única parte de la novela que no funcionó para mí fue la voz colectiva, utilizada a lo largo de la novela para representar a "las madres" de la comunidad de la Iglesia Upper Room. El libro no es perfecto y algunos hilos de la historia quedan sin resolver, pero sigue siendo una historia que vale la pena leer.