Grown Women

A Novel

By: Sarai Johnson

Narrated by: Karen Chilton

Length: 14 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

“This is a tender, deeply perceptive tale of what kin owes kin, and how we might work to mend old wounds together.”—Elle

In this stunning debut novel, four generations of complex Black women contend with motherhood and daughterhood, generational trauma and the deeply ingrained tensions and wounds that divide them as they redefine happiness and healing for themselves.

Erudite Evelyn, her cynical daughter Charlotte, and Charlotte’s optimistic daughter Corinna see the world very differently. Though they love each other deeply, it’s no wonder that their personalities often clash. But their conflicts go deeper than run-of-the-mill disagreements. Here, there is deep, dark resentment for past and present hurt.

When Corinna gives birth to her own daughter, Camille, the beautiful, intelligent little girl offers this trio of mothers something they all need: hope, joy, and an opportunity to reconcile. They decide to work together to raise their collective daughter with the tenderness and empathy they missed in their own relationships. Yet despite their best intentions, they cannot agree on what that means.

After Camille eventually leaves her mother and grandmother in rural Tennessee for a more cosmopolitan life in Washington, DC with her great-grandmother, it’s unclear whether this complex and self-contained girl will thrive or be overwhelmed by the fears and dreams of three generations she carries. As she grows into a gutsy young woman, Camille must decide for herself what happiness will look like.

In masterful, elegant prose, debut novelist Sarai Johnson has created a rich and moving portrait of Black women’s lives today.

©2023 Sarai Johnson (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

Emotional rollcoaster

This book holds a depth of emotions. Being able to mentally walk through generations of women learn how to let go the hurt they cannot forgive. Beautifully written could not stop listening.

Great work, Well worth it!

Absolutely amazing book! I really appreciate this book and hope that many more people will read it. I think its a very important topic. I often speak with my wife about the topic of generational trauma. It's nice to have such a good book be on this subject. Everyone has issues they deal with that influence their decisions and they way the lead their lives. It's important to be able to recognize and reflect on it.

Thank you Sarai for this amazing work.

Love the Story!

I would certainly recommend this book. The story was great! My only comment is that although this story examines four generations of black women, there was never a positive example of a black man. Although we did find out that Charlotte's father James was an excellent father and husband, he dies before we have the opportunity to examine how he did or could have impacted the lives of the ladies. I'm all about inclusivity but, hate the portrayal of black men sometimes. Even Johnny had a father at home but, apparently, he wasn't influenced by him which I guess is why he made the decision to keep Camille a secret. (And his shady mom endorsed the decision) I hate to point this out but, because the story was so good. It stood out to me as a black woman who is always interested in a story the provokes thought and reflects what we sometimes go through.

Beautiful Story!

I haven’t been moved by a book in quite some time but Grown Women was really inspiring and a harsh look at how generational curses can go on forever until one person makes the decision to change. The story was beautifully told and the characters were relatable. I loved every second of it!

the Female/maternal relationships

My only criticism I found it difficult to keep the timeline in my head. At some point I stopped paying attn to the dates since they switched often and just listened to the story otherwise ilI enjoyed the relationships between characters.

The Generational Curse Stronghold

This book was very good. It was so deep on SO MANY levels, and holds true to so many families. I often wondered throughout the book, and somehow feel like this is a true story. It just felt so real. Family secrets do way more damage than people realize. I think it's SO IMPORTANT for your children to know your story, and the REAL family history. That's how generational curses get broken vs carried on. When people know the 'WHY' they understand better and make different choices/decisions in life.
In this book, it was really 5 generations of women that caused these turn of events. It started with Evelyn's mother. And hell, even Camille's other grandmother was a culprit in it too.
Overall, I HIGLY recommend this book and absolutely LOVE the narrator; I've listened to other books by her and she gives them life!!

The narrator was the bomb!

I loved the book—ALL OF IT!👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 Sarai Johnson so understands women!💕💕Kudos to you!

Outstanding

The layers of this book spoke to me and I’m sure many Black women regarding their familial relationships. So deep and true. I absolutely loved

Narrator

This book was amazing!! The narrator was phenomenal. I don’t know how I will listen to anyone else!

So healing to read

The author was very descriptive and effective with word choice storytelling and keeping it relatable