Grown Women

A Novel

By: Sarai Johnson

Narrated by: Karen Chilton

A New Yorker Best Book of the Year · NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Debut Literary Work

“This is a tender, deeply perceptive tale of what kin owes kin, and how we might work to mend old wounds together.”—Elle

In this stunning debut novel, four generations of complex Black women contend with motherhood and daughterhood, generational trauma and the deeply ingrained tensions and wounds that divide them as they redefine happiness and healing for themselves.

Erudite Evelyn, her cynical daughter Charlotte, and Charlotte’s optimistic daughter Corinna see the world very differently. Though they love each other deeply, it’s no wonder that their personalities often clash. But their conflicts go deeper than run-of-the-mill disagreements. Here, there is deep, dark resentment for past and present hurt.

When Corinna gives birth to her own daughter, Camille, the beautiful, intelligent little girl offers this trio of mothers something they all need: hope, joy, and an opportunity to reconcile. They decide to work together to raise their collective daughter with the tenderness and empathy they missed in their own relationships. Yet despite their best intentions, they cannot agree on what that means.

After Camille eventually leaves her mother and grandmother in rural Tennessee for a more cosmopolitan life in Washington, DC with her great-grandmother, it’s unclear whether this complex and self-contained girl will thrive or be overwhelmed by the fears and dreams of three generations she carries. As she grows into a gutsy young woman, Camille must decide for herself what happiness will look like.

In masterful, elegant prose, debut novelist Sarai Johnson has created a rich and moving portrait of Black women’s lives today.

Great Narration

The actors did an excellent job with a narration! It was a good story: the flashback could be a bit confusing, The retelling got a bit confusing.
The author did a great job of showing how generational trauma can affect the family as a whole.

Generational Forgiveness

This story was enthralling from start to finish. The trauma that spanned literal generations, the hard self reflections, understanding and healing that needed to happen in order to get to forgiveness was so very relatable. I loved how the author gave a backstory on each character so you could better understand how and why they made the decisions they made. The message at the end hit me in a way I wasn’t expecting (because of my own healing I’m working through). Great narration and beautifully written.

A beautiful story of empowerment,forgives, and generational pain

I love the linear and through threads of this generational story. The culture, the esteem, the realness reflected is spot on?

A wonderfully relatable story

Such a beautiful exploration of mother wounds, how they affect us, and the beauty in healing from them. This would make a great movie.

Love the Story!

I would certainly recommend this book. The story was great! My only comment is that although this story examines four generations of black women, there was never a positive example of a black man. Although we did find out that Charlotte's father James was an excellent father and husband, he dies before we have the opportunity to examine how he did or could have impacted the lives of the ladies. I'm all about inclusivity but, hate the portrayal of black men sometimes. Even Johnny had a father at home but, apparently, he wasn't influenced by him which I guess is why he made the decision to keep Camille a secret. (And his shady mom endorsed the decision) I hate to point this out but, because the story was so good. It stood out to me as a black woman who is always interested in a story the provokes thought and reflects what we sometimes go through.