The Mothers: the New York Times bestseller

A love triangle told in an irritating nebulous third person. This gives the author the right to then judge the characters from the frame of reference of several older church going Black women who look on at the younger generation in their congregation, tsk-tsking at all their transgressions in small town America.At its heart it’s a common story of a love triangle, told in an interesting context. It fell flat because the characters displayed few humane nuances and instead became what the author wanted them to be.Her other book, The Vanishing Half, is better.

]It was moving, fantastically written and talked about the complexities of abortion, suicide and abuse in a delicate way that left me speechless at the end. Its heart-breaking, and realistic and I couldn’t put it down. The 3 main characters Nadia, Aubrey and Luke were described in such depth to the point where I felt like I knew all 3.When Nadia is 17 she is still mourning her mothers recent suicide, and decides to get with the local pastors son, Luke. Luke is a former football star whose injury has resulted in him working waiting tables at a local restaurant. The pregnancy that comes about because of this teen romance – and the subsequent cover up – has an impact on both their lives the goes beyond their youth. Nadia withholds this secret from her best friend Aubrey, a lovely church girl with a traumatic past. As the years go on, a love triangle develops, secrets come out and they are all left thinking about what life would have been like if they had all made different choices.There were many things I loved about this book. Whether it’s the way that Bennett showed the impact of abortion on both the mother and father, especially in the case where the father may not have wanted a termination of the pregnancy, the interludes of the church mothers who see everything and hold it against you, or the grief stricken relationship between Nadia and her father and the realism of the whole story. There’s a constant feeling of longing for love, whether that’s between friends, family or lovers, and getting what you want doesn’t always make things okay.The book makes you think how the decisions you make when you are younger impact you throughout life.

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.

A beautiful story about love, loss, friendship family and community.The Mothers is a teen romance with an audience, marriage with an audience, grief with an audience. Nigerians will refer to the audience as monitoring spirits.Throughout this novel, we read about different types of mothers, the dead, the protective and possessive, unprepared, desperate to be, spiritual ones and nosy ones.Set in a black church community in Southern California, teenage Nadia falls in love with Luke Sheppard but will the Sheppards of the Upper Room flock feed the flock or do what’s best for their family and reputation?I loved reading this book, the writing style is very good, the characters believable and lovable. It is being being narrated by the women of the Upper Room church who gather to pray/gossip about its members. The Mothers.

A romance between two black Californian teenagers has lifelong repercussions for them and their families. Each of the three main characters has a problematic mother as well as their own problems with parenthood, and there is a chorus of older church women – ‘the mothers’ – who comment on unfolding events.I very much enjoyed ‘The Vanishing Half’ by the same author, and this one (which was her debut) is even better. The writing is beautiful, the story engrossing, and Bennett’s empathy for people behaving badly ensures that the people aren’t bad.

Bought for my mother but she enjoyed the story