skin & bones

a novel

By: Renée Watson

Narrated by: Zenzi Williams

From the acclaimed #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a soulful and lyrical novel exploring sisterhood, motherhood, faith, love, and ultimately what gets passed down from one generation to the next

At 40, Lena Baker is at a steady and stable moment in life—between wine nights with her two best friends and her wedding just weeks away, she’s happy in love and in friendship until a confession on her wedding day shifts her world.

Unmoored and grieving a major loss, Lena finds herself trying to teach her daughter self-love while struggling to do so herself. Lena questions everything she’s learned about dating, friendship, and motherhood, and through it all, she works tirelessly to bring the oft-forgotten Black history of Oregon to the masses, sidestepping her well-meaning co-workers that don’t understand that their good intentions are often offensive and hurtful.

Through Watson’s poetic voice, skin & bones is a stirring exploration of who society makes space for and is ultimately a story of heartbreak and healing.

I became one with the story

I love the way the author embodied the life of a full figured woman. It shows how women are first judged by their appearances and how it’s assumed that plus size women are unhealthy and uncomfortable in their on bodies. This book is a must read for our BBWs of the world. It empathizes our struggles and how we overcome. I truly love this book!

Amazing and Inspiring! Just a beautiful story all around

Amazing and Inspiring! Just a beautiful story all around. I enjoyed every bit of this book

Relevance to my own life experinces

Book Club Pick! Phenomenal representation of themes. Motherhood, friendship, relationships, and culture for Black women. Love how organized religion was featured. Sparked great conversation around stereotypes, self image, and complexity of inter generational differences.

Loved the confidence she has

This book was an eye opener for me in a way I never knew I needed. I love Lena’s confidence and that she had an amazing friendship with her girlfriends.

Stop and think

I found this story very contemplative. It made me think of my life and unconscious biases.