Reviews

What would you do if you were sitting at a park during your lunch hour and found a baby in a carrier with no sign of a sitter or parent? When Cinnamon Haynes, a former foster child who once was homeless and struggled for years to come into her own, finds the baby, she doesn't know where to turn. To add to the controversy, the baby is white and she is black. She knows that she's been missing something in the relatively normal life she's carved out for herself, but is it crazy to consider caring for the baby herself?

So starts this heartfelt exploration of motherhood and what makes a mother in You Were Always Mine by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza. Cinnamon who serves as a guidance counselor at a local community college advises young people on making decisions about their future daily. But she never thought that she'd be a mom because her husband Jayson seems more wrapped up in himself, and she figured with her background that she may be unsuitable for motherhood, anyway. Plus, the emotional attachment may be too great when she's already trying to stay confident and in control after many years of feeling like the floor always quaked beneath her.

I really loved this book and loved the main character. She's such a well-drawn character, unique and empathetic, and the choices she makes may seem destructive or simply not well thought-out, but as she goes along in the book, you see how Cinnamon grows with each day that she cares for baby. Despite what her husband or best friend says, she's determined to be there for the baby unlike all the people who failed her during her childhood. Yet she realizes how challenging it could be with the stress on her marriage, society's opinions about a young black woman rearing a white baby, and the way motherhood changes you, whomever you are, beyond anything that you would expect.

Some chapters end with letters that the pregnant teenager who left the baby wrote to her child. They tell her story of her fraught childhood and the reasons behind why she left her child. You gradually learn why she did it and how she feels about it. Her character is distinct from Cinnamon's but just as compelling and likeable. You feel so much empathy towards her plight and how she's torn about giving up her baby.

I loved how the book was written and the engaging language. The characters and scenarios come alive. While some of the situations may seem slightly far-fetched, they all lead to an amazing story. If you are a mother, considering becoming one, or do not know if it's the right path for you, it explores all avenues of motherhood and what makes a family. It will make you appreciate yours even more, whether you're connected to your biological family or the one you've created on your own.

I never shed a tear over books, but I welled up at the end of this one. It's incredibly touching and just such a good story. So good that I raced out before I finished it to get the authors' other novel, which I started last night. I feel so privileged to get the chance to read this--I enjoyed it so much and hope you will, too.

Thank you, HQ, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! It was a pleasure!