The Mothers by Brit Bennett (#78 in 2020)
After her mother's suicide, Nadia buries herself in her social life and winds up in bed with the pastor's son. When Nadia finds herself pregnant and the young couple makes the decision to terminate the pregnancy, she chooses to keep this mistake a secret from everyone, especially her super-religious BFF. As the years progress and these teens grow together, grow up, and grow apart, it becomes clear that Nadia's past will follow her into adulthood.
"All good secrets have a taste before you tell them, and if we'd taken a moment to swish this one around our mouths, we might have noticed the sourness of an unripe secret, plucked too soon, stolen and passed around before its season. But we didn't."
Brit Bennett is officially one of my new favorite writers. Her grasp on literary technique is unbeatable and her language fluidity is stunning. I spent a great deal of time copying down quotes I really liked and reflecting on her sometimes subtle/sometimes obvious commentary on racism and how race plays a role in the lives of young people. Many of the chapters feature a short section right at the beginning from a first person plural point of view where the reader hears from a collective "we" who witnessed much of the progression between these friends. The "we" is supposed to be the group of older women, or "mothers," from the church, and this nearly omniscient perspective is fantastically executed. 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was lucky to be a part of the conversation with @letsreadrantrepeat - hosted by @readwithwine and @speakingof_books . Jordan and Allie always do a great job facilitating discussion and then recapping their thoughts in a live video.
BIGGEST COMPLIMENT OF ALL:
This book was SO GOOD that my notorious #notyomommasbookclub crew that almost never reads the monthly picks ACTUALLY read this book... and loved it! As always, thanks to @kraysbookclub and @downtogetthefictionon for hosting!
Also check out my savory breakfast tart that is one of my favorite recipes in my cookbook - sweet potato, onion, turkey bacon, cheese, egg, and lots of herbs. 😉
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