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This is an incredibly powerful read. I really enjoyed the depth to which she told the stories of these women, going back to their parents and childhoods and going forward to their relationships with their sons whose names are so familiar today. Their stories were incredible.
Style-wise, it felt a little repetitive at times (as in she literally repeated facts she’d already included), but perhaps that was intentional to really drive home the points she (the author) was making.
Overall, this book is written to and for Black women, particularly Black mothers, as the author states, but it is necessary reading for everyone. The injustices, the cruelty, the racism that each of these women and their families faced is almost hard to believe. Yet, it really happened, not so very long ago. And as hard as it is to read about, it is necessary for us to read and study about it because that’s the only way we learn and move forward to treating people fairly.
Style-wise, it felt a little repetitive at times (as in she literally repeated facts she’d already included), but perhaps that was intentional to really drive home the points she (the author) was making.
Overall, this book is written to and for Black women, particularly Black mothers, as the author states, but it is necessary reading for everyone. The injustices, the cruelty, the racism that each of these women and their families faced is almost hard to believe. Yet, it really happened, not so very long ago. And as hard as it is to read about, it is necessary for us to read and study about it because that’s the only way we learn and move forward to treating people fairly.
This book was an important read, telling the erased story of the mothers of James Baldwin, MLK, and Malcolm X. The book also was a very important history about time before the civil right movement up to and after the civil rights movement. Would highly recommend you read it.
I loved learning more, or really the first I have learnt, about these 3 women. Their history was fascinating and insightful. A beautiful look at mothers and how they shape who we become. The structure of the book is fantastic and I appreciated the way Tubbs weaves the stories of the 3 women together.
i think the way the book was strutted threw me off. I was expecting/wanting each mother to have their full story in separate parts, but i understand trying to compare and contrast and topics that overlay and such. Over all great book. learned a lot about these women and their influence on their sons that influenced the world. It was a very interesting perspective. Lots of horrific stories.
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
“It is clear that Malcolm, Martin, and James were all part of a legacy much larger than themselves, and they had their mothers to thank, not only for their lives but for the direct instruction on how to survive in the world while actively changing it.”
It’s not often that nonfiction brings me to tears, but this work by Anna Tubbs is such a poignant, necessary, and long overdue perspective on the role of the mothers of three of the most recognized men of the modern civil rights movement.
I appreciated how the book was organized, and in listening to the author-narrated audiobook, it really felt more like a series of essays on each woman, versus a thick volume of information.
And ultimately, the unfortunate reality is that thick volumes of information are not available on these women. It is clear that the author worked tirelessly to source every detail shared in these pages, and presented their lives as compassionately and thoughtfully as possible.
The author’s note at the end of the book is a must-read, and a powerful reminder of the legacy these women left their sons, and all of us, in the pursuit of racial and social justice.
It’s not often that nonfiction brings me to tears, but this work by Anna Tubbs is such a poignant, necessary, and long overdue perspective on the role of the mothers of three of the most recognized men of the modern civil rights movement.
I appreciated how the book was organized, and in listening to the author-narrated audiobook, it really felt more like a series of essays on each woman, versus a thick volume of information.
And ultimately, the unfortunate reality is that thick volumes of information are not available on these women. It is clear that the author worked tirelessly to source every detail shared in these pages, and presented their lives as compassionately and thoughtfully as possible.
The author’s note at the end of the book is a must-read, and a powerful reminder of the legacy these women left their sons, and all of us, in the pursuit of racial and social justice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Murder
Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Slavery, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
informative
medium-paced
An informative, touching and interesting read, it juxtaposes the lifes and struggles of three Black mothers that have been left off the pages of history despite the fact that their sons have all reached international acclaim. The book talks about their origins, the biographical details of their lives, and their relationships with their respective sons. But I think for me the heart of the novel was the way the author upheld their excellence, their astounding bravery and their incredible abitility to love their families and communities. I would say it's both inspirational and rewarding because it puts their sons within a certain context. I think the author achieves her goals of showing how incredible these women were, while also reminding us that they are just like many other Black mothers and community leaders. For me the book could have been longer, and more detailed, it wasn't as "fleshy" as the average biography, but that comes from the writer choosing to capture all three of them, while also telling the story of the Jim Crow south, the great migration and the Civil Rights movement. I think it was an active choice on her part, but I would prefered more personal stories. Still I think it's an excellent biographical work and would hartily recommend.
My issue with this book is mostly a personal style issue. I would have preferred it was written in such a way that focused on each mother in separate sections rather than always jumping back and forth between the three. The main thesis of the book - of elevating Black mothers who’ve historically been erased - is great though.
I cannot say enough how much I loved this book. It was packed full of information and history about the lives of these three women and the men they raised. While there was enough information for a textbook, it read like a novel.
Anna Malaika Tubbs wrote truthfully but with grace. There was a desire for understanding and not just reporting of the facts. She presented stories but also infused each story with deeper meaning by giving it context and explaining the history.
Anna Malaika Tubbs wrote truthfully but with grace. There was a desire for understanding and not just reporting of the facts. She presented stories but also infused each story with deeper meaning by giving it context and explaining the history.