The Mothers (Riverhead, $26) arrives with a great deal of fanfare.
Its author, 26-year-old Brit Bennett, became an Internet cause célèbre after penning the essay “I Don’t Know What to Do With Good White People” for Jezebel. Now, the Encino, California native has been selected as one the prestigious National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35.
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She joins Yaa Gyasi, whose debut novel Homegoing (Knopf, $26.95) received near unanimous praise. Bennett was nominated by acclaimed children’s book author Jacqueline Woodson. Both Bennett and Gyasi are certain to show up on the short lists of the best fiction of the year. With The Mothers, Bennett proves she can back up the buzz. And she delivers a helluva plot.
Set in a close-knit Southern California community, The Mothers revolves around three intriguing characters who are bound and ultimately unglued by a devastating secret. Bennett’s hypnotic writing hooks you from the very beginning and never lets you go in this spine-tingling study of destiny.
You can pre-order the book now, which was featured in the October 2016 issue of ESSENCE and goes on-sale October 11, 2016.