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Anna spent 3.5 years researching this book and it shows. I love her writing, and I love how she included quotes from the relevant time period at the beginning of each chapter and wove them into the women’s lives. The quotes highlight the dehumanization and erasure of Black women. Many parts of this book are hard to read—and should be. Anna is a wonderful storyteller and these stories needed to be told.
Five stars isn’t enough. Please read this book.
Five stars isn’t enough. Please read this book.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
One of the best books I've read all year. This was a really in depth look at the Alberta King, Betis Baldwin, and Louise Little. I have so much admiration for them. This is also a celebration of Black motherhood.
I began reading this book on Mothers’ Day and finished it on Juneteenth (and Fathers’ Day). Perfectly fitting for the contents of the book.
This work attempts to recreate the lives and contributions of three mothers of significant men of the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King’s mother Alberta, James Baldwin’s mother Berdis, and Malcolm X’s mother Louise come to life in these pages along with the lessons they taught their children.
The women and their contributions were significant and under appreciated over the years, but I found the structure of the book, with all three families’ stories intermingled, challenging to track. That said, I think this book is an important addition to the historical record and appreciate the author’s perspective.
I think the conclusion is the strongest bit of writing, and I enjoyed learning about the three women and their relationships with their sons. Hopefully there will be more accounts along these lines in the months and years to come.
This work attempts to recreate the lives and contributions of three mothers of significant men of the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King’s mother Alberta, James Baldwin’s mother Berdis, and Malcolm X’s mother Louise come to life in these pages along with the lessons they taught their children.
The women and their contributions were significant and under appreciated over the years, but I found the structure of the book, with all three families’ stories intermingled, challenging to track. That said, I think this book is an important addition to the historical record and appreciate the author’s perspective.
I think the conclusion is the strongest bit of writing, and I enjoyed learning about the three women and their relationships with their sons. Hopefully there will be more accounts along these lines in the months and years to come.
I was really looking forward to reading this book. It was wonderful to learn more about these great women and their lives and some of the circumstances that occurred to bring about their amazing sons. I just wish it was more based on their stories and less conjecture by the author, but it seemed she had little evidence to go on.
As a white woman, this book has helped to provide an unbelievable amount of perspective on what we WEREN’T taught in school and absolutely should have been taught.
As a woman, this book has helped to foster an enormous amount of respect for those who were able to do so much in a time that saw them as so little. To speak their truth and make a change and be their own person.
As a mother, this book touched me in ways I never thought possible. I’m very glad I heard these stories.
As a woman, this book has helped to foster an enormous amount of respect for those who were able to do so much in a time that saw them as so little. To speak their truth and make a change and be their own person.
As a mother, this book touched me in ways I never thought possible. I’m very glad I heard these stories.
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Classism
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
This book was a wonderful testament to three remarkable (yet largely unknown) mothers: Alberta King, Louise Little, and Berdis Baldwin. I love this project, and I learned so much!
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced