Why read Mama?

Book cover of Mama

Book description

A “funny [and] touching” novel of an African American woman determined to triumph, by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Waiting to Exhale (Detroit Free Press).

Mildred Peacock is fed up with poverty—and with the jealous rampages of her husband, Crook. When Crook runs over her foot with his…

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Literary fiction

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Why read it?

1 author picked Mama as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Amber Mosby

Author

The first time I read this book I was just a teenager. The story of a Black woman escaping domestic abuse and raising children on her own was something I had watched play out in my own family. I could see my grandmother in those pages, my mother in the struggles described, my aunts' resentments, and my uncles' poor choices clearly in the story. It felt like someone had peeked into my own family history and put it to paper.

Although McMillan is often overlooked as a writer, Mama is not a story to be missed.

From Amber's list on strong female leads of color.