The Mothers by Brit Bennett (A Book Review)

A riveting story of a seemingly aimless young girl and the various connections she forms throughout her life. Nadia is a grief stricken girl trying to find her place in the world after her mother leaves her and her father behind by way of suicide. This selfish act committed by her mother leaves Nadia to figure life out for herself in a way that has dire consequences and becomes an ugly lurking thing in her world. Luke is a pastor’s son and Nadia’s first love. He’s a young man with dashed dreams trying to find an alternate path after his football career comes to an end. With football no longer a sure thing, he’s aimless as well. Their lives burst into each other in a ball of flames with their fire extinguished as fast as it began. As they move on in their lives, new connections are formed. Nadia becomes fast friends with Aubrey., a young woman so different than herself. With Aubrey she gains a beautiful and sisterly connection that gives her the familial feeling that was abrupted by her mother’s suicide. Luke forms a meaningful yet fleeting friendship that is both detrimental and necessary to bring purpose into his life. Will the passion of their youth, long ago extinguished, seep back in and destroy any semblance of a functional life?

I loved many things about this story. From the flawed characters seeking refuge and salvation within the walls of the Upper Room sanctuary, to it being a haven for some and a harness for others, to the searing eyes of the collective known as the Mothers, the story unfolded in a bold and beautiful way. I liked how sage advice was sprinkled throughout the story with both straightness and nuance. The fresh takeaways from age old advice was fantastic. So many aha moments throughout. Many excerpts stood out, such as, “They too hard. Soft things can take a beating. But you push somethin’ hard a little bit and it shatters. You gotta be a soft thing in love. Hard love don’t last.” Another excerpt that was arresting was, “She knew the what. She could guess the why. But the how of it all had been what eluded her. The how of any betrayal was the hardest part to justify, how the lies could be assembled and stacked and maintained until the truth was completely hidden behind them.” The latter excerpt was far reaching and was applicable to several instances within the story.

A constant cry in the story was the suicide of Nadia’s mother. I would have liked to know a bit more about her and what may have led her to her tragic end. What could have been so bad to cloud her view to the point of leaving her daughter behind? Even though I had lingering questions about certain events in the story, I was still left satisfied. I enjoyed Bennett’s writing style. I liked the fact that she trusted her audience to find the sweet spot for themselves. It left a lasting impression long after the story ended. I am still feeling this story in my bones which is the best gift an author can gift to a reader. I look forward to other works from this author.

Rating: 10/10

The Power of A Good Story

The year 2020 is nearing a close. It has been a very interesting and intense year. With the ever present inundation of constant bad news, I’d sucumbed to a dull numbing of sorts. To break out of this crazy mess I found myself in, I intentionally sought out books that forced me to feel and be present. It felt very freeing to be so invested in these characters and what they had going on. The gift of these authors’ voices snapped me out of the abyss of 2020. The power of a good story is a beautiful and meaningful thing. I’m most grateful for that.

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult (A Book Review)

Alex and Lacy are mothers whose lives crash into each other as a result of a tragic event. Though they possess different parental styles, the women simultaneously face inner turmoil and self doubt in how they reared their children. They are uncertain of their role and standing in their children’s lives. Josie and Peter are young adults trying to figure out life and how they exist in the world. But lurking just beneath the surface of their identity, is the pure unadultered truth of who they really are. That particular fact shows up differently in Josie and Peter, causing them to travel slightly different paths.

For Peter, what is has always been. For Josie, it’s a very fine line she walks that shuffles her between two very different worlds. For Peter there is absolution in how he exists in the world. For Josie, her identity is warped within her inner self. She’s aware of who she is deep down but struggles with the person she presents to the world. This causes a painful inner turmoil in her. Will she find the tools to soothe her tortured soul?

What about Alex and Lacy? When things are brought to the light, will they continue to let self doubt wash over them? Or will they accept that other factors also play a role in how life turns out for an individual?

I felt this story with my whole heart. I ached for certain characters in different ways. It seemed that Alex could not find her footing as a parent, while Lacy was initially confident in her role as a parent. However, everything Lacy thought she had right was soon placed under a microscope, prime for dissection. Lacy’s husband, Lewis, was detached in my opinion. He kept measuring reality against formulas and probabilities. I kept wanting him to be in the moment, to stare at the truth in its fullness. He did show glimpses of that in a few situations, which was good.

The story left me with several takeaways. It’s easy to judge others while you are standing outside their world. But when life sends you challenges, how you handle a situation is based on many factors, not isolated ones. It’s never just one thing. How you handle things can be affected by your experiences, your viewpoints shaped by those experiences, your feelings about yourself and the world, and the truth as you know it to be in your mind. Sometimes it’s hard to see other people’s truth if you staunchly view the world differently. It can be possible but it requires compassion and empathy. If you don’t have those traits and are not willing to find them, then hope in some situations will remain dire.

I read another novel by Jodi Picoult years ago (Small Great Things) which I enjoyed also. After reading this novel, Picoult has secured a place as a favored storyteller. I like how she can leave me bewildered with all the complexities in the story. More times than not, I questioned myself on how I really felt about a situation in the story. She arrests the reader in how she delivers her stories. If you want to be challenged in how you think you view things, Picoult masters this as an author.

Rating: 10/10