1) Blondeva's Boys by Kendra Norman
In the fictitious small town of Nona, Alabama, Blondeva Turner is known for three things: her bluntness, her baking, and her boys. Alongside her husband, she raised four sons, but her baby has always been her heart.
Unlike his successful siblings, Isaac failed in college, failed in marriage, and failed to answer God’s call on his life. Twenty-five years ago, he moved from Nona to escape the constant reminders of his many mistakes, including the one that sent the woman he loved into the arms of another man.
Isaac left home with no intent to return, but Blondeva’s prayers (and ploys) have lured him back to the hometown of his heartbreak. He’s come to renovate his parents’ home, but Isaac is the one who’s in for a total makeover—heart, mind, and soul. But before the victory, comes the fight. And the devil messed with the wrong one when he chose one of Blondeva’s Boys.
Link to Purchase
https://amzn.to/2KiRKXr
2) Seeking Sarah by Reshonda Tate Billingsley
From the national bestselling and award-winning ReShonda Tate Billingsley comes this gripping and emotional exploration of the complex bond between mother and daughter.
From the time Brooke Green was seven years old, she has lived with the pain of losing her mother. Her father has done the best job he could in raising her, but a piece of her always felt empty. On the day of her father’s funeral, her grandmother breaks the shocking news: her mother, Sarah, is very much alive. She abandoned her family because she claimed she wasn’t fit for motherhood. After doing some research, Brooke discovers her mother is living in Atlanta, enjoying a great career…and a brand new family. Stunned, Brooke doesn’t know if she wants answers or revenge against the mother who abandoned her. When she meets Sarah’s husband, Tony, Brooke sees the perfect way to make her mother pay. But her plan for revenge just may leave everyone in danger, and end up costing Brooke more than she ever bargained for.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2rDoVxn
3) Stand Your Ground by Victoria Christopher Murray
From the #1 Essence bestselling and award-winning author Victoria Christopher Murray comes Stand Your Ground, a novel about two women who are faced with the same tragedy.
A black teenage boy is dead. A white man shot him. Was he standing his ground or was it murder?
Janice Johnson is living every black mother’s nightmare. Her seventeen-year-old son was murdered and the shooter has not been arrested. Can the D.A. and the police be trusted to investigate and do the right thing? Should Janice take advantage of the public outcry and join her husband alongside the angry protestors who are out for revenge?
Meredith Spencer is married to the man accused of the killing and she sees her husband and the situation with far more clarity than anyone realizes. What she knows could blow the case wide open, but what will that mean for her life and that of her son? Will she have the courage to come forward in time so that justice can be done?
#1 national bestselling and award-winning author Victoria Christopher Murray’s Stand Your Ground is a pulse-pounding meditation on race, motherhood, marriage, and vigilante justice that will have readers spellbound until its shocking end.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2rDv10G
4) Single Momma Dating Drama published by Brown Girls Publishing
Single Mama dating! It doesn't get anymore complicated than that. How can you find love when you have a career and kids? Where can you find that love connection? Is he on-line, in church, standing in front of the grapefruit in the grocery store? In these hilarious and heart-warming stories, you'll find single moms finding love in the most interesting of places, all while steering clear of the crazies, the lazies and definitely, the shadies.
In Single Mama Dating Drama, seventeen talented writers share fictional stories about the woes, pitfalls, and joys of dating while raising kids. From Monica Lynne Foster’s explosive tale of an ex who fights for custody of his child while fighting to gain his ex-wife back from her newfound love…to Dwon D. Moss’ hilarious Internet dating spin on a widow who runs into a holy roller, a pretty boy and a liar….to Candice Y. Johnson’s laugh-out-loud take on a mama whose baby girl prophetically dismisses all of her potential suitors…to Denise Anquenette’s story of how one woman's attempt to take back control of her life strains the bonds and boundaries of her relationship with her children…..to Michelle Mitchell’s sticky tale of a woman who meets her mate at a sperm bank…. these captivating stories are sure to make you laugh, shake your head, clutch your pearls, and cheer for these mamas and all their dating drama!
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2jSzLvC
5) The Motherhood Diaries by Reshonda Tate Billingsley
As a mother, you love your kids. You’d do anything for them, but chances are, at some point in their childhood, you’ve probably wondered, “What in the world was I thinking?” Even if you’ll never admit it, if you’ve ever wished for Calgon to take you away, then The Motherhood Diaries is for you!
As the working mother of three children, ReShonda Tate Billingsley knows motherhood isn’t a perfect science. She openly shares stories with her thousands of followers on social media about her children: thirteen-year-old Mya, the diva whose Instagram post—and subsequent punishment— went viral; to ten-year-old Morgan, who has a serious case of middle-child syndrome and a knack for giving her teachers a few of her mother’s favorite things; and finally, Myles, a witty and precocious five-year-old who, as his grandmother says, “has been here before.” It was while chronicling her journey that she discovered she wasn’t the only mother who longed for the days when she could use the restroom in peace, who sometimes sat in the driveway because she didn’t want to go in the house, and who sometimes wondered, Is this what I signed up for? Hence, The Motherhood Diaries was born.
Through humorous and enlightening dialogue and narrative, ReShonda chronicles her own journey, as well as reveals candid imperfections of a mother trying to balance it all. With humorous and heartwarming stories from other mothers also trying to “get it right,”The Motherhood Diaries shares candid and honest conversations about the good, the bad and the downright disastrous path of mothering in the New Millennium.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2wA1B9p
6) The Motherhood Diaries 2 anthology by Brown Girls Publishing
Motherhood can be the toughest – and funniest – job you’ll ever have. Raising kids is hard work, but humor can make the journey a little easier - even if you just have to laugh to keep from crying. In The Motherhood Diaries 2, National Bestselling Author, ReShonda Tate Billingsley, uses personal anecdotes from her zoo - formerly known as a family - to show how humor helps her navigate the minefield of motherhood. This laugh-out-loud read portrays the truths about motherhood that we are either too ashamed or too proud to admit. Through heartwarming and hilarious tales of motherhood, ReShonda and other mothers share their joys, pains, and everything in between. From Tia McCollors, who shows you how to pull life lessons from embarrassing moments; to Gina Johnson, whose circus puts Ringling Brothers to shame; to Janoah White, who learned to let laughter help her deal with a son who has autism; to Denise Leora Madre’s hilarious story on how motherhood shattered her naiveté - there’s something relatable for mothers from all walks of life. Then, stories from mothers like Naleighna Kai will show you how to find faith in the midst of motherhood; Nikki Woods, whose inspiring story will have you wanting to rethink your family legacy; and Regina Cooper, whose Diary of a Mortified Mom will have you double-checking those locks the next time you want to squeeze in quality time with your mate. In all, twenty-five mothers share stories that will help you accept the insanity of motherhood and learn to laugh about it in the process. Finding humor in the raw honesty of life as a mother is a survival mechanism for most of us, and these moms will help you see you’re not alone in this refreshing, hilarious take on motherhood.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2jTgEBY
7) Two Sided Heart by Patricia Anne Phillips
For Randal, it is love at first sight when he lays eyes on Leah. After a short, whirlwind romance, Leah leaves all she knows behind in New Orleans and moves to Savannah, Georgia to marry her newfound love, only to exist in secrets.
Now seven years of bliss, Leah and Randal welcome beautiful, twin daughters—Leanne and Brooklyn. After several hours of intense labor, Leah falls madly in love with her babies. Randal, on the other hand, not so much. With a heart of ice, Randal makes an unconscionable decision that changes Leah’s life forever and eventually determines his demise.
After Randal being the breadwinner and taking care of everything, Leah now finds herself heartbroken, clueless, betrayed, and alone. With only Brooklyn by her side, she embarks upon a new life, with Randal’s secret constantly haunting her.
"Two-Sided Heart" is a mother’s worst nightmare.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2rCohA8
8) Momma Gone by Nina Foxx
Momma set me on the jukebox. So begins the personal story of Denise (Sweetie) Wooten, set between a post-civil rights era New York City and a growing, but stale rural Alabama. We are thrust in the midst of a family longing for normalcy, but instead struggling with illness and all that comes with it; denial, anger and misunderstanding and love. As cultures clash, we see the family through a child s eyes and walk with her as she makes sense of war fought far away, but with effects close to home, and a tragedy that changes her life forever. More truth than not, Momma: Gone is a story of survival, where all the lessons are taught by the child who must eventually lead them through and a classic American story of overcoming life s misfortunes to find the bloom on the other side. -Shortlisted for a Doctorow Award in Innovative Fiction
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2wJoOWT
9) A Letter For My Mother by Nina Foxx
Thirty-five female writers share their essays and letters—hilarious, heart wrenching, and everything in between—in this wise and poignant collection about mother-daughter relationships.
Thirty-three female writers share their essays and letters—hilarious, heart wrenching, and everything in between—in this wise and poignant collection about mother-daughter relationships.
Whether they’re from the US, Caribbean, India, or the UK, all of the contributors to A Letter for My Mother share one thing in common: thoughts that have been left unsaid to their mothers and mother figures—until now. In this moving book, thirty-three women reveal the stories, reflections, confessions, and revelations they’ve kept to themselves for years and have finally put into words. Written through tears and pain, as well as joy and laughter, each offering presents the mother-daughter bond in a different light.
Heartfelt and deeply meaningful, A Letter for My Mother will inspire you to admire and cherish that special relationship that shapes every woman.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2ryBXvU
10) A Day Late And A Dollar Short by Terri McMillan
Much-heralded and long awaited, Terry McMillan's tour-de-force novel introduces the Price family-matriarch Viola, her sometimes-husband Cecil, and their four adult kids, each of whom sees life-and one another-through thick and thin, and entirely on their own terms. With her hallmark exuberance and cast of characters so sassy, resilient, and full of life that they breathe, dream, and shout right off the page.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2IgZoRI
11) Mama by Terry McMillan
The explosive novel that introduced #1 New York Times bestselling author Terry McMillan
Meet Mildred Peacock, mother of five, black, and fed up with poverty and the jealous rampages of her husband, Crook. When Crook runs over her foot with his ’59 Mercury, she finally kicks him out to raise her kids on her own.
Mildred is resourceful and sly, sassy and sexy, and she’ll do anything to pay the bills. But she loses job after job, and one man after another, until alcohol and nerve pills are her only comfort. All along though, there are always her kids, the most important things in her life.
From the Midwest to the West Coast to New York, Mama moves with high-spirited realism through the 1960s and 1970s and the promises and disappointments that era meant for all black people.
Meet Mildred Peacock, mother of five, black, and fed up with poverty and the jealous rampages of her husband, Crook. When Crook runs over her foot with his ’59 Mercury, she finally kicks him out to raise her kids on her own.
Mildred is resourceful and sly, sassy and sexy, and she’ll do anything to pay the bills. But she loses job after job, and one man after another, until alcohol and nerve pills are her only comfort. All along though, there are always her kids, the most important things in her life.
From the Midwest to the West Coast to New York, Mama moves with high-spirited realism through the 1960s and 1970s and the promises and disappointments that era meant for all black people.
Link to Purchase
https://amzn.to/2KS75zf
12) A Miracle Everyday by Marita Golden
A Miracle Everyday takes an illuminating and intimate look at flourishing single-mother families. Single motherhood and the children of single mothers have been the subject of overwhelmingly negative statistical analysis. But, asks Marita Golden, where are the studies that analyze the strengths of single mothers, the positive adaptive skills learned by their children, the support systems that help these families work? In A Miracle Every Day Golden, once a single mother herself, and several other single mothers and their family members share their success stories with great honestly and insight. Golden identifies the coping characteristics these families have in common and organizes them into guiding themes, making A Miracle Every Day a book that single mothers and their support networks can turn to for wisdom, comfort, and inspiration.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2G9TGz1
13) A Mother's Love: Sharing Our Stories by Sharell E Gordon Love
A Mother’s Love is the one precious commodity that is intangible yet can be touched and felt in our spirits from heart to heart and breast to breast. It is the love that, if we have had the privilege to experience it in our lives, will cherish forever.
Contrary to popular belief, the saying that we only get one mother is not really the truth. Maybe a biological one, but mother is not a title that a woman wears because she has given birth to her own children. We find her in our grandmothers, aunties, cousins, and other women who may not be related, but has had a hand in the men and women we are or are becoming.
In A Mother’s Love: Sharing Our Stories, we share the joys, the highs, the lows, the sacrifices, and most importantly, the unconditional love of the mothers in our lives with the world.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2rAOFeA
14) Sins of the Mother by Victoria Christopher Murray
Have the sins of the mother come upon the daughter?
Jasmine Larson Bush is finally living a drama-free life. She’s left her lying, cheating, stealing stripper days behind and is standing by her husband’s side as the first lady of one of the largest churches in New York City. The Bushes have been blessed with the best of everything—including two lovely children.
But just when Jasmine has committed her life completely to God, her daughter Jacqueline is kidnapped from a mall the day after Thanksgiving. The police and the church community join in the frantic search to find the four-year-old. As the days pass without any sign of her daughter, Jasmine begins to crack under the strain and turns to Brian Lewis, Jacqueline’s biological father, for solace.
Has Jasmine’s past finally caught up to her? Will her daughter be found or will Jasmine pay the ultimate price?
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2rJlV2z
15) The Mother by Yvette Edwards
The unimaginable has happened to Marcia Williams. Her bright and beautiful sixteen-year-old son, Ryan, has been brutally murdered. Consumed by grief and rage, she must bridle her dark feelings and endure something no mother should ever have to experience: she must go to court for the trial of the killer—another teenage boy—accused of taking her son’s life.
How could her son be dead? Ryan should have been safe—he wasn’t the kind of boy to find himself on the wrong end of a knife carried by a dangerous young man like Tyson Manley. But as the trial proceeds, Marcia finds her beliefs and assumptions challenged as she learns more about Ryan’s death and Tyson’s life, including his dysfunctional family. She also discovers troubling truths about her own. As the strain of Ryan’s death tests their marriage, Lloydie, her husband, pulls farther away, hiding behind a wall of secrets that masks his grief, while Marcia draws closer to her sister, who is becoming her prime confidant.
One person seems to hold the answers—and the hope—Marcia needs: Tyson’s scared young girlfriend, Sweetie. But as this anguished mother has learned, nothing in life is certain. Not anymore.
A beautiful, engrossing novel that illuminates some of the most important and troubling issues of our time, The Mother is a moving portrait of love, tragedy, and survival—and the aftershocks from a momentary act of cruel violence that transforms the lives of everyone it touches.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2KTgJSa
16) Mother: A Heartfelt Poetic Tribute Celebrating Single Mothers by
Author Avery Washington’s style of poetry is compassionate and thought provoking. His childhood experiences being raised by a single mother has created this huge heart he has for women and children. Avery Washington's gift of words in "Mother" reads as a universal anthem for respecting the beautiful women in our lives. He has created a unique platform to pour out his love for not only his family but for other families as well; setting the example that men can reverence a woman without being regarded as weak.
If you liked his previous collections; “Just Speaking My Mind" and "Letters to My Daughters," you will thoroughly enjoy this current read. With such titles as; "The Proposal and "My Inspiration," Avery Washington gets it! He is standing in agreement for every man who appreciates a mother's heart, a spouse's affection and the unconditional love received from our children. His words are inspiring enough that even if one is not quite living up to their responsibilities, when you read his poetic messages, you will want to become a better husband, father and friend.
Author Avery Washington compiles each verse of his poetry subjects to produce delicate sounds; where readers, through their emotions, can dance and celebrate God’s love for the beautiful creation of women.
La Trisha McIntosh and La Tasha Taylor
Founders/Publishers/Editors- Beautifully Said Magazine
www.beautifullysmagazine.com
At a time when so many mothers are raising their children alone, Avery Washington comes along and creates a work of art encouraging, inspiring and thanking them for being the foundation of the family and with the same pen challenging men to do better towards our greatest blessing, women.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2IbtVEu
17) The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis
The arrival of a major new voice in contemporary fiction.
A debut of extraordinary distinction: Ayana Mathis tells the story of the children of the Great Migration through the trials of one unforgettable family.
In 1923, fifteen-year-old Hattie Shepherd flees Georgia and settles in Philadelphia, hoping for a chance at a better life. Instead, she marries a man who will bring her nothing but disappointment and watches helplessly as her firstborn twins succumb to an illness a few pennies could have prevented. Hattie gives birth to nine more children whom she raises with grit and mettle and not an ounce of the tenderness they crave. She vows to prepare them for the calamitous difficulty they are sure to face in their later lives, to meet a world that will not love them, a world that will not be kind. Captured here in twelve luminous narrative threads, their lives tell the story of a mother’s monumental courage and the journey of a nation.
Beautiful and devastating, Ayana Mathis’s The Twelve Tribes of Hattie is wondrous from first to last—glorious, harrowing, unexpectedly uplifting, and blazing with life. An emotionally transfixing page-turner, a searing portrait of striving in the face of insurmountable adversity, an indelible encounter with the resilience of the human spirit and the driving force of the American dream.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2rD9gPm
18) In Search of Our Mother's Garden: Prose by Alice Walker
What is a womanist? Alice Walker sets out to define the concept in this anthology of early essays and other nonfiction pieces. As she outlines it, a womanist is a person who prefers to side with the oppressed: with women, with people of color, with the poor. As a writer, Walker has always taken such people as her primary subjects, and her search for paths toward self-possession and freedom always holds out hope for the transformative power of compassion and love. Whether she’s taking on nuclear proliferation, the promise and problems of the civil rights movement, or her own creative process, Walker always brings to bear a fearless determination to tell the truth.
This ebook features an illustrated biography of Alice Walker including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2ID0ISi
19) At Mama's Knee: Mothers and Race in Black and White by April Ryan
In her first book, The Presidency in Black and White, journalist April Ryan examined race in America through her experience as a White House reporter. In this book, she shifts the conversation from the White House to every home in America. At Mama’s Knee looks at race and race relations through the lessons that mothers transmit to their children. As a single African American mother in Baltimore, Ryan has struggled with each gut wrenching, race related news story to find the words to convey the right lessons to her daughters. To better understand how mothers transfer to their children wisdom on race and race relations, she reached out to other mothers—prominent political leaders like Hillary Clinton and Valerie Jarrett, celebrities like Cindy Williams, and others like Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon Martin’s mother, whose lives have been impacted by prominent race related events. At a time when Americans still struggle to address racial division and prejudice, their stories remind us that attitudes change from one generation to the next and one child at a time.
Features interviews with: Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin; John Lewis, congressman; Hillary Clinton, former First Lady, Secretary of State, Presidential candidate; Cindy Williams, actress known for role of Shirley on Laverne & Shirley; Cory Booker, United States senator; Christopher Darden, OJ Simpson prosecutor; Michael Cole, actor best known for role of Pete on The Mod Squad; Valerie Jarrett, presidential advisor; Kerry Kennedy, daughter of Robert and Ethel Kennedy; Iyanla Vansant, author, life coach and television personality; Harry Belafonte, singer, songwriter, actor, and social activist; President Barack Obama; and President Jimmy Carter.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2wG5ZDY
20) And You Call Yourself A Christian by E. N. Joy
Out of all the divas at New Day Temple of Faith, Unique has to be the most colorful one--she and her mother Lorain, that is. Never one to hold her tongue in the name of keepin' it real, it's no surprise that Unique has not been saved all her life. It's safe to say that Lorain wasn't born on the church pew either. Let the church folk tell it, the apple hasn't fallen too far from the tree when it comes to Unique.
Lorain--once known as the tight skirt, V-neck blouse, too much makeup-wearing leader of the New Day Singles Ministry--claims she's there to look out for her daughter and try to keep her in check. But how in the world does Lorain think she can even begin to keep her daughter on the straight and narrow with her own crooked life?
Some might say Lorain has failed miserably as a mother when Unique ends up in jail for three counts of murder. One who would agree is the woman who raised Unique while Lorain was out living her life freely. As an all-out war takes place between Unique's birth mother and the woman who raised her, will Unique have any support while she fights for her life behind bars? Will all forsake her while they are too busy with their own agendas? Only God holds the answer to this one.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2ID1grk
21) This Far By Faith: My Mother's Shadow\A Cracked Mirror\Honor Thy Heart Anthology
LaShun Tillman's many blessings haven't eased her pain at being abandoned as a baby. Fate has given her an opportunity to reveal to the world that her birth mother, former supermodel Sariah Langston, has an ugly past. But revenge is never simple—and neither is the truth.
Aspiring actress Jessica Drake lands a bit part in Broadway diva Diana Edmonds's latest show, only to find that her idol has feet of clay-plus a monumental ego. But their strained relationship is changed utterly when a reporter discovers that Jessica is really the daughter Diana thought had died long ago.
Beautiful Sienna St. James has spent her life being pushed into beauty pageants by her domineering, controlling mother, Sable. Now her blossoming relationship with a thoughtful young doctor has inspired her to live her life as she sees fit, even if it means losing everything she's known.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2Ia0jHs
22) Our Black Sons Matter: Mothers Talk about Fears, Sorrows, and Hopes by George Yancy and Maria del Guadalupe Davidson
Our Black Sons Matter is a powerful collection of original essays, letters, and poems that addresses both the deep joys and the very real challenges of raising black boys today. From Trayvon Martin to Tamir Rice, the list of young black men who have suffered racial violence continues to grow. Young black people also deal with profound stereotypes and structural barriers. And yet, young black men are often paradoxically revered as icons of cultural cool. Our Black Sons Matter features contributions from women across the racial spectrum who are raising or have raised black sons—whether biologically their sons or not. The book courageously addresses painful trauma, challenges assumptions, and offers insights and hope through the deep bonds between mothers and their children. Both a collective testimony and a collective love letter, Our Black Sons Matter sends the message that black lives matter and speaks with the universal love of all mothers who fear for the lives of their children.
Contributions by Jacki Lynn Baynks, Shelly Bell, Deborah Binkley-Jackson, Meta G. Carstarphen, LaMar Delandro, Gretchen Givens Generett, Jane Anna Gordon, Farah Jasmine Griffin, Maria del Guadalupe Davidson, Susan Hadley, Carol E. Henderson, Dawn Herd-Clark, Elisheba Johnson, Heather Johnson, Newtona (Tina) Johnson, Jane Lazarre, Sara Lomax-Reese, Tracey McCants Lewis, Nicole McJamerson, Michele Moody-Adams, Elisha Oliver, Blanche Radford-Curry, Autumn Redcross, Tracey Reed Armant, Noliwe Rooks, T. Denean, Sharpley-Whiting, Treasure Shields Redmond, Sharyn Skeeter, Becky Thompson, Linda D. Tomlinson, Dyan Watson, Veronica T. Watson, Regina Sims Wright, Karsonya Wise Whitehead, and George Yancy.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2KXucsk
23) A Mother's Love by Pat Simmons
Jillian Carter’s life is about to change drastically. Her daughter, Shana, is beating her to the altar after falling in love with her soul mate. It’s an experience Jillian knows nothing about. After mistaking love for lust one summer, Jillian found herself as an unwed teenage mother.
Now at thirty-nine, Jillian isn’t looking forward to becoming an empty-nester and the boredom that it brings. She’s not buying the old adage, “she’s not losing a daughter, but gaining a son.” Suddenly, things become very interesting when two unexpected men vye for her affections: Shana’s biological father breezes back into their lives as a redeemed man after twenty-three years of parental neglect. Not only is Alex Nixon still good looking, but he’s ready to right the wrong he’s done.
But not so fast. With the Lord’s help, Jillian finds she’s able to forgive Alex though she struggles to forget all the special moments he missed in their daughter’s life. To complicate matters, the widowed father of the groom, Dr. Dexter Harris, has set his sights on Jillian and he’s willing to pull out all the stops to woo her.
Jillian must choose who will be her soul mate and give her the happily ever after she never thought possible. A Mother’s Love is a Christian romantic novella that proves it’s never too late for love.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2IaVMoe
24) The Summer of Me by Angela Benson
The nationally bestselling author of Delilah’s Daughters and The Amen Sisters returns with a moving story about a single mother who discovers the woman she can be in one unforgettable summer.
As a single mother, Destiny makes sacrifices for her children—including saying goodbye for the summer so they can spend time with their father and stepmother. Though she’ll miss them with all her heart, the time alone gives her an opportunity to address her own needs, like finish getting her college degree. But Destiny’s friends think her summer should include some romance.
Destiny doesn’t want to be set up…until she meets Daniel. The handsome, warm and charming pastor soon sweeps Destiny off her feet. But is romance what she really wants? Or needs?
As the days pass, Destiny will make new discoveries—about herself, the man she’s fallen for, and the people around her. And she’ll face challenging choices. But most of all, she’ll grow in ways she never imagined, learning unexpected lessons about trust, forgiveness, and the price of motherhood…and truly become the woman she wants to be.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2jRj185
25) 72 Hour Hold by Be Be Moore Campbell
Trina is eighteen and suffers from bi-polar disorder, making her paranoid, wild, and violent. Frightened by her own child, Keri searches for help, quickly learning that the mental health community can only offer her a seventy-two hour hold. After these three days Trina is off on her own again.
Fed up with the bureaucracy and determined to save her daughter by any means necessary, Keri signs on for an illegal intervention known as The Program, a group of radicals who eschew the psychiatric system and model themselves after the Underground Railroad. In the upheaval that follows, she is forced to confront a past that refuses to stay buried, even as she battles to secure a future for her child.
"A tightly woven, well-written story about mothers and daughters, highs and lows, ex-husbands and boyfriends.... Universally touching."
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2wzIiNs
26) Mama Ruby by Mary Monroe
New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe presents an unforgettable tale featuring the rebellious early years of Mama Ruby, the indomitable heroine of her acclaimed novel The Upper Room.
Growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana, Ruby Jean Upshaw is the kind of girl who knows what she wants and knows how to get it. By the time she's fifteen, Ruby has a taste for fast men and cheap liquor, and not even her preacher daddy can set her straight. Only Othella Mae Cartier, daughter of the town tramp, understands what makes Ruby tick.
When Ruby discovers she's in the family way, she's scared for the first time in her life. After hiding her growing belly, Ruby secretly gives birth to a baby girl at Othella's house. Othella talks Ruby into giving the child away--and with the help of a shocking revelation, convinces Ruby to run off with her to New Orleans.
But nothing can erase Ruby's memories of her child--or quell her simmering rage at Othella for persuading her to let her precious baby go. Someday there will be a reckoning. And Othella will learn that no one knows how to exact revenge quite like Ruby Jean Upshaw. .
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2jW0ojH
27) Trouble in My Way by Michelle Stimpson
IT'S ALL HER MOM'S FAULT.
If she hadn't snooped into Karis's diary, she would never have found out that Karis went to a boy's house without permission. Now Karis is grounded, which means no modem, no iPod...and no cell phone. There's just no way a cute, popular, high-schooler can survive being cut off from the world, so Karis is forced to sneak around behind her mother's back. But the way she's acting makes Karis feel guilty -- even if it is her mom's fault -- and she doesn't like the feeling.
Her scheming is starting to cause other problems, too. Borrowing a friend's cell phone has turned into a catastrophe that may break up her oldest friendship, and the cutie she met after driver's ed is acting a little scary. Will the faith her mother has taught her be enough to help her find her way through this trouble...and show both the world and herself that she's a stronger, better person than even she ever knew?
Link to Purchase
https://amzn.to/2wzbJPw
28) Black Mothers: Songs of Praise and Celebration by
Former USA Today columnist Kristin Clark Taylor has put together a love song to African American mothers. As she writes in the Introduction: "to any mother who ever kissed a scraped knee; broke up a playground fight; spent part of the rent money on a pair of badly needed Buster Browns; preserved a memory; instilled in her young one an everlasting image of racial pride; or encouraged in her child imaginative, courageous thinking...To black mothers everywhere who guided our feet and showered us with an unconditional love that has sustained our spirit, enriched our lives, opened our hearts and kept us strong. To the heroic black mothers who have withstood pain and indignity, suffering and sacrifice--all for the good of their children--this book praises your existence and your memory."
In nine finely hewn chapters filled with quotes, poems, and vintage photographs, the black mother is seen in her many roles: "Giver of Life," "Spiritual Anchor," "Disciplinarian," "Wise Teacher," "Provider and Comforter," "Image of Beauty," "Loving Surrogate," and finally "Keeper of the Flame." An elegant gift book that will be treasured by all who receive it, Black Mothers is a visually and emotionally uplifting celebration of African American motherhood.
preserved a memory; instilled in her young one an everlasting image of racial pride; or encouraged in her child imaginative, courageous thinking.--To black mothers everywhere who guided our feet and showered us with an unconditional love that has sustained our spirit, enriched our lives, opened our hearts, and kept us strong. To the heroic black mothers who have withstood pain and indignity, suffering and sacrifice--all for the good of their children--this book praises your existence and your memory." --Kristin Clark Taylor, from the Introduction
Kristin Clark Taylor offers heartfelt reflections on black motherhood in an accessible and highly personalized style. In nine finely hewn chapters filled with quotes, poems, and vintage photographs, the black mother is seen in her many roles: "Giver of Life," "Spiritual Anchor," "Disciplinarian," "Wise Teacher," "Provider and Comforter," "Image of Beauty," "Loving Surrogate," "Climber of an Uphill Battle," and finally "Keeper of the Flame." An elegant gift book that will be treasured by all who receive it, BLACK MOTHERS is a visually and emotionally uplifting celebration of African-American motherhood.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2KScXsh
29) Last Temptation by Michelle Stimpson
Sensible single mother Patricia "Peaches" Miller isn't about to follow in her mama's footsteps and become dependent on a man. But when she doesn't see eye to eye with the man she wants to marry, she knows that returning to a life of girls' nights out, retail therapy, and chocolate peanut clusters just won't do for her. Then Raphael, her son's father, steps back into the picture--and clearly his attraction to Peaches is stronger than ever. There's just one problem. Raphael has already pledged his heart to another woman. Peaches has been praying for a perfect family for a long time. Deep down she knows this can't be God's idea of an answer--but can you blame a girl for hoping? Now, as she battles with temptation, and with her faith, she's not sure which will win. . .
At thirty-six, Petra Fields gets a shock that causes her to take a look at her life, and she's not proud of what she sees. Her past is a catalog of secrets and lies that she's never had the courage to own up to, and Petra knows she won't find peace of mind until she's made amends. But the task is far more difficult than she expected.
The first and hardest step is admitting to Krista, her teenage daughter, that the father Krista believed was dead is very much alive--a revelation that will change their relationship forever. Then there's the neighbor whose husband Petra had an affair with, the former coworker that she got fired, and a list of other acquaintances who are understandably angry at her sudden desire for forgiveness. Far from setting her free, the truth seems to bring more complications and heartache, but also opens up her life in surprising ways. And when Petra is granted a new chance at love, she'll face the biggest challenge of all--finding the courage to seize her own happiness and start over for real. . .
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2rCdJBA
31) Getting Mother's Body by Susan Lori Parks
Billy Beede, the teenage daughter of the fast-running, no-account, and six-years-dead Willa Mae, comes home one day to find a fateful letter waiting for her: Willa Mae’s burial spot in LaJunta, Arizona, is about to be plowed up to make way for a supermarket.
As Willa Mae’s only daughter, Billy is heiress to her mother’s substantial but unconfirmed fortune—a cache of jewels that Willa Mae’s lover, Dill Smiles, is said to have buried with her. Dirt poor, living in a trailer with her Aunt June and Uncle Roosevelt behind a gas station in a tumbleweedy Texas town, and pregnant with an illegitimate child, Billy knows that treasure could mean salvation. So she steals Dill’s pickup truck and, with her aunt and uncle in tow, heads for Arizona with Dill in hot pursuit. While everyone agrees it’s only polite to speak of getting mother’s body and moving her to a proper resting place, it’s well understood that digging up Willa Mae’s diamonds and pearls will make the whole trip a lot more worthwhile.
The enormously accomplished fiction debut from Suzan-Lori Parks, the 2002 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Getting Mother’s Body takes its place in the company of the classic works of Zora Neale Hurston and Alice Walker. But when it comes to an ingenious, uproarious knack for depicting the trifling, hard-luck, down-and-out souls who need a little singing and laughing and lying and praying to get through the day, Suzan-Lori Parks shares the stage with no one.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2rCcRfC
32) The Darkest Child by Delores Phillips
Pakersfield, Georgia, 1958: Thirteen-year-old Tangy Mae Quinn is the sixth of ten fatherless siblings. She is the darkest-skinned among them and therefore the ugliest in her mother, Rozelle’s, estimation, but she’s also the brightest. Rozelle—beautiful, charismatic, and light-skinned—exercises a violent hold over her children. Fearing abandonment, she pulls them from school at the age of twelve and sends them to earn their keep for the household, whether in domestic service, in the fields, or at “the farmhouse” on the edge of town, where Rozelle beds local men for money.
But Tangy Mae has been selected to be part of the first integrated class at a nearby white high school. She has a chance to change her life, but can she break from Rozelle’s grasp without ruinous—even fatal—consequences?
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2rHKyg2
33) Perfect Peace by Daniel Black
The heartbreaking portrait of a large, rural southern family's attempt to grapple with their mother's desperate decision to make her newborn son into the daughter she will never have
When the seventh child of the Peace family, named Perfect, turns eight, her mother Emma Jean tells her bewildered daughter, "You was born a boy. I made you a girl. But that ain't what you was supposed to be. So, from now on, you gon' be a boy. It'll be a little strange at first, but you'll get used to it, and this'll be over after while." From this point forward, his life becomes a bizarre kaleidoscope of events. Meanwhile, the Peace family is forced to question everything they thought they knew about gender, sexuality, unconditional love, and fulfillment.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2GatlB0
34) Going Down South by Bonnie Glover
From the author of The Middle Sister comes a heartwarming tale of second chances and the unparalleled love between mothers and daughters.
When fifteen-year-old Olivia Jean finds herself in the “family way,” her mother, Daisy, who has never been very maternal, springs into action. Daisy decides that Olivia Jean can’t stay in New York and whisks her away to her grandmother’s farm in Alabama to have the baby–even though Daisy and her mother, Birdie, have been estranged for years. When they arrive, Birdie lays down the law: Sure, her granddaughter can stay, but Daisy will have to stay as well. Though Daisy is furious, she has no choice.
Now, under one little roof in the 1960s Deep South, three generations of spirited, proud women are forced to live together. One by one, they begin to lose their inhibitions and share their secrets. And as long-guarded truths emerge, a baby is born–a child with the power to turn these virtual strangers into a real, honest-to-goodness family.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2rCEB4t
35) BigMomma Quotes by Princess FL Gooden
When Bigmama spoke everybody listened. Her words were words that flowed from trials, tribulations, mistakes, heartbreaks, disappointments, and failures. She knew exactly what to say even if we didn't want to hear it. Bigmama Quotes is a book that reminds of her wisdom and love.
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2wAJYWU
36) Loving Me for Me by Nalenighna Kai
Reign King, a beautiful, gifted, single mother from Chicago and Devesh Maharaj, a handsome, wealthy East Indian bachelor from California, are mutually attracted to each other, despite their cultural differences and the fact that she has a few years on him. Unfortunately, his traditional family and a secret she would rather take to her grave, has kept them apart for nearly five years.
A chance meeting brings them face-to-face once again. This time, Devesh is determined to be with Reign no matter what his family has planned. The couple has more at stake this time around, forcing them to confront their deepest fears, overcome unforeseen obstacles, and challenge the media as well as enemies who are closer to home. Devesh finds ingenious ways for them to manage their rocky relationship terrain since Reign has suffered through unbelievable tragedies that resurface, along with a few "reckless exes". Devesh soon puts everyone on notice that he truly believes that love is ‘til death do us part—even if he has to send someone to an early grave to protect her.
Will this May-December romance survive those who are dead-set on seeing Reign and Devesh go their separate ways?
Link for Purchase
https://amzn.to/2ryWwbA
What are your favorite books about Mother's and their relationships with their children. Let me know in the comments below. Thank you and Happy Mother's day to each and every Mother and Mother figure
