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Mama: A Queer Black Woman’s Story of a Family Lost and Found
In this raw and ultimately uplifting memoir, a queer Black woman, fresh out college, adopts her baby brother after their incarcerated mother dies, and creates the kind of family she never had. Growing up, Nikkya Hargrove’s mother was in and out of prison. Hargrove, one of the 5 million children dealing with the effects of an incarcerated parent, spent a good portion of her childhood in prison visiting rooms but almost never actually living with her mother. In Hargrove’s case, though, life got even more complicated when her mother—addicted to cocaine and just out of prison—had a son. When that child was just months old, Hargrove’s mother died and Hargrove, who had just graduated from college, decided to fight for custody of her half brother. And fight she does. We see how she is subjected to preconceived notions that she, a Black, queer, young woman, cannot be given such responsibility. She’s honest about the shame she feels accepting food stamps, about her family’s reaction to her coming out, and about the joy she experiences when she meets the woman who will become her wife. But whether she’s clashing with Jonathan’s biological father or battling for Jonathan’s education rights after he’s diagnosed with ADHD, this is a woman who won’t give up. Hargrove’s memoir picks up where Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy left off, exploring generational trauma and pulling back the curtain on family court and poverty in America. Moving and inspiring, Mama is an ode to motherhood and identity, to never giving up, and to finding strength in family and community.
240 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication October 15, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 24, 2024
MAMA
By Nikkya Hargrove
This is a memoir about Nikkya Hargrove, and her very difficult with life journey as she spends her childhood as her mother is in prison. She narrates her life and journey in gaining custody for her stepbrother and caring for him through autism and ADHD. Through poverty and a myriad of life challenges, she has shown us to rise above adversity and find herself in the process. I am so inspired by Hargrove and a reason why I love reading memoirs.
By Nikkya Hargrove
This is a memoir about Nikkya Hargrove, and her very difficult with life journey as she spends her childhood as her mother is in prison. She narrates her life and journey in gaining custody for her stepbrother and caring for him through autism and ADHD. Through poverty and a myriad of life challenges, she has shown us to rise above adversity and find herself in the process. I am so inspired by Hargrove and a reason why I love reading memoirs.
June 12, 2024
What a wonderful, intimate portrait of the intricacies of motherhood. This in depth story brings the full emotional depth of motherhood to the foreground with such beautiful and vulnerability. I highly recommend it to all mothers, people who have mothers, and those who work with mothers.
May 15, 2024
This book was amazing. I loved so many things about it. I felt as I was reading the pages that I was experiencing life’s ups and downs along with the characters. I literally didn’t want to put this book down because I was afraid that I would miss something. It really pulled at my heart ❤️.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for gifting me this book in exchange for my honest review
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for gifting me this book in exchange for my honest review
July 17, 2024
Thank you to Algonquin Books via NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Mama by Nikkya Hargrove! I was captivated by this book from the start. The book’s exploration of motherhood, spirituality, and resilience was really refreshing and impactful. Nikkya’s queer journey and her experiences in a mixed-race, queer relationship resonated deeply with me and the portrayal of her wife and the handling of their cultural differences were beautifully done. I was especially touched by the depiction of Dinushka and the couple's determination to make their relationship work despite numerous challenges. I admired Nikkya's vulnerability in sharing her financial struggles and her difficulty in setting boundaries with her son's birth father. I also thought the larger discussion on Child Protective Services, the brokenness of that system, the challenges of finding affordable childcare, and the stigma associated with government assistance was particularly impactful. This story is one of resilience and unconditional love and will stay with me for a long time. I'm honored to have had the opportunity to read it. Thank you again!
August 22, 2024
A beautiful story of family, queer love and hope. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC. But more importantly, thank you to Nikkya Hargrove for sharing your story with the world.
September 10, 2024
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC that I read.
This was a wonderful and hopeful book. I’m inspired by the faith, the love, the queerness and the family. It was lovely and I absolutely recommend! I will be telling my friends about it :)
This was a wonderful and hopeful book. I’m inspired by the faith, the love, the queerness and the family. It was lovely and I absolutely recommend! I will be telling my friends about it :)
May 25, 2024
It was a great book and was full of great moments and not so great moments. It kept me engaged and I wanted to keep reading to see what would happen next!!! You will not go wrong if you order this one, trust me!!!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews