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Mama: A Novel
| Title | Mama: A Novel |
| Writer | |
| Date | 2024-12-24 12:37:47 |
| Type | |
| Link | Listen Read |
Desciption
A “funny [and] touching” novel of an African American woman determined to triumph, by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Waiting to Exhale (Detroit Free Press). Mildred Peacock is fed up with poverty—and with the jealous rampages of her husband, Crook. When Crook runs over her foot with his ’59 Mercury, she finally kicks him out to raise her five kids on her own. Resourceful and sly, sassy and sexy, she’s willing to do just about anything to pay the bills. But she loses job after job, and one man after another, until alcohol and pills are her only comfort. But as long as her children need her, she has no intention of giving up, in this “tough novel about a tough family,” from the author of Disappearing Acts and How Stella Got Her Groove Back (The New Yorker). “Earthy, realistic characters who can walk out of the pages and onto the streets of black America . . . an admirable novel.” —San Francisco Chronicle “A touching tale of one mother’s unwavering strength.” —Detroit Monthly Read more
Review
Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly This is McMillan's zesty first novel about an impoverished black family's struggle to overcome its problems. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal Mama , a first novel, tells of a proud black woman, Mildred Peacock, and her five children. After a violent fight, Mildred throws her drunken husband out of the house. On her own in the poor town of Point Haven, Michigan, Mildred scrimps and drinks, works and goes on welfare, struggling to raise her kids and keep her sanity. Mildred's closest bond is to her oldest daughter, Freda, and their lives parallel each other's progress from despair to hope. The book's main weakness is that the author apparently could not decide what to leave out. She also has not decided who her audience is: at times she seems to be writing to blacks, at other times to be explaining things to naive white readers. Although the story has power, it lacks focus and a clear point of view. Janet Boyarin Blundell, MLS, Brookdale Community Coll. Adjunct Faculty, Lincroft, Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review Marjorie Johnson's breathy, close-to-the-mike delivery quickly establishes intimacy in the first heartrending scene. Her vocal agility and range draw the listener into the story of an African-American family's desperate and heroic gamble against the odds. Johnson's performance celebrates the diversity of the novel's characters, as well as their strength.-- "AudioFile"A gutsy depiction of a soul in America...powerfully evocative and inspired.-- "Boston Globe"Terry McMillan's gutsy style drives Mama along like an engine.-- "Cleveland Plain Dealer"It doesn't take a huge stretch of imagination to believe the characters that [McMillan] makes up because they aren't necessarily made-up. They are people that you could easily picture and their plights are faced by human beings every day...McMillan is a great storyteller.-- "Examiner.com" About the Author Terry McMillan is a contributor for Highbridge Company titles including; "Mama".Hattie Winston is a contributor for Highbridge Company titles including; "Mama" From AudioFile Focusing on the African-American woman's experience, Mama reflects on children, men, money, loneliness and alcoholism through Mildred Peacock's life and family. Hattie Winston's inflections, pace and clarity are excellent; her warm, expressive voice consistently portrays the characters. Winston's best characterizations are Mildred and her eldest daughter, Freda, who are the focus of the story. Slow, sexy blues music precedes and follows the narrative, adding flavor to the circular, repetitious pattern of life. Freda's pondering, "How can you save your family from itself?" gets at the essence of Mama. J.A.H. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine Read more
