The Mothers: A Novel
(Libby/OverDrive eAudiobook)
Author
Contributors
Published
Books on Tape , 2016.
Appears on these lists
Status
Available from Libby/OverDrive
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Libby/OverDrive
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Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Bittersweet, sexy, morally fraught.” –The New York Times Book Review"Luminous… engrossing and poignant, this is one not to miss." –People, Pick of the Week "Fantastic… a book that feels alive on the page." –The Washington PostA dazzling debut novel from an exciting new voice, The Mothers is a surprising story about young love, a big secret in a small community—and the things that ultimately haunt us most. 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."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."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.In entrancing, lyrical prose, The Mothers asks whether a "what if" can be more powerful than an experience itself. If, as time passes, we must always live in servitude to the decisions of our younger selves, to the communities that have parented us, and to the decisions we make that shape our lives forever.
More Details
Format
eAudiobook
Edition
Unabridged
Street Date
10/11/2016
Language
English
ISBN
9780735288287
Subjects
Excerpt
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Similar Titles From NoveList
NoveList provides detailed suggestions for titles you might like if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
These books have the appeal factors moving, reflective, and lyrical, and they have the theme "love on the rocks"; the genre "literary fiction"; and the subjects "secrets" and "marital conflict."
These books have the appeal factors lyrical and stylistically complex, and they have the genres "psychological fiction" and "literary fiction"; the subjects "regret," "options, alternatives, choices," and "purpose in life"; and characters that are "flawed characters" and "complex characters."
These books have the appeal factors lyrical and spare, and they have the genres "psychological fiction" and "literary fiction"; the subjects "options, alternatives, choices," "coping," and "love"; include the identity "black"; and characters that are "flawed characters," "sympathetic characters," and "complex characters."
While The Mothers is a coming-of-age story and Little Fires Everywhere is a domestic drama, readers who appreciate thoughtful and compassionate stories where flawed people make difficult choices will find much to like in these multifaceted novels about family and community. -- Halle Carlson
The impact of family -- and of parents on their children, specifically -- is clear in these poignant literary novels, which each depict the lives of three African Americans wrestling with complex problems that affect each other. -- Shauna Griffin
Actions taken during teenage relationships have long-lasting implications for the characters in these thought-provoking novels that explore issues of motherhood, race, and class differences. -- Halle Carlson
These lyrical, complex novels explore the intertwined lives, loves, failures, and sufferings of residents in all-Black towns. Both authentically portray the characters' cultural backgrounds, including religious influences on their choices and relationships. -- Katherine Johnson
These reflective novels follow young women coping with their mothers' untimely deaths. What We Lose has a more unconventional storyline, but both books share a number of themes (family rifts, grief, ill-fated relationships, racism) and a compelling writing style. -- Catherine Coles
These affecting novels explore loyalty, love, racism, and regret through the eyes of the complex protagonists who must live with the long-term consequences of a single decision. -- Halle Carlson
Race, class, and community inform these compelling coming-of-age novels about a motherless girl in contemporary California (The Mothers) and an orphaned boy in 1960s Massachusetts (In Revere). Both are bittersweet chronicles of innocence lost. -- Mike Nilsson
We recommend The Kindest Lie for readers who enjoyed The Mothers. Both debut own voices novels star Black women navigating the repercussions of choices made in their youth. -- Kaitlin Conner
After their mothers commit suicide, the girls in these lyrical coming-of-age novels adapt to their newly broken existence with the help of surrogate mothers while simultaneously longing to leave their claustrophobic small towns. Both character-driven stories are moving and reflective. -- Mike Nilsson
Similar Authors From NoveList
NoveList provides detailed suggestions for other authors you might want to read if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
Brit Bennett and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie write incisive fiction focusing on flawed characters and the ramifications of their decisions. Each explores family, identity, and how the past influences present circumstances. -- Halle Carlson
Both American authors write reflective, character-driven psychological and literary fiction that looks into the complicated lives of Black female characters, which linger in readers' minds. Gayl Jones also delves into darker and violent experiences; Brit Bennett's are less intense, but both pack a punch in delivering affecting works of fiction. -- Andrienne Cruz
Central to Margaret Wilkerson Sexton and Brit Bennett's novels are the multi-faceted identities of strong Black women. Each writes stylistically complex stories that shed light on the personal and generational impacts of racism. -- Halle Carlson
Both authors write thought-provoking own voices fiction featuring well-developed, complex Black characters exploring identity and the effects of racism in their lives. Nancy Johnson's novels use parallel narratives and multiple perspectives, while Brit Bennet's stories are more stylistically complex. -- Mary Olson
These authors write character-driven novels about relatably imperfect women who grapple with the challenges and opportunities life offers them, both the transformative and mundane. -- Halle Carlson
Tayari Jones and Brit Bennett craft moving, at times heartwrenching, stories about Black men and women navigating complex romantic, familial, and platonic relationships. Each also examines systemic racism and its impact on their characters' choices and actions. -- Halle Carlson
These authors' works have the subjects "african american families," "race relations," and "african american communities."
These authors' works have the genres "african american fiction" and "psychological fiction"; the subjects "african american families," "north american people," and "mothers and daughters"; and include the identity "black."
These authors' works have the subjects "african american families," "african american women," and "race relations."
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Citations
APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)
Bennett, B., & Ojo, A. (2016). The Mothers: A Novel (Unabridged). Books on Tape.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Bennett, Brit and Adenrele Ojo. 2016. The Mothers: A Novel. Books on Tape.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Bennett, Brit and Adenrele Ojo. The Mothers: A Novel Books on Tape, 2016.
Harvard Citation (style guide)Bennett, B. and Ojo, A. (2016). The mothers: a novel. Unabridged Books on Tape.
MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)Bennett, Brit, and Adenrele Ojo. The Mothers: A Novel Unabridged, Books on Tape, 2016.
Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.
Copy Details
| Collection | Owned | Available | Number of Holds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Libby | 3 | 2 | 0 |
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