"The difference between a mother who's forgiveable and a mother who's not is whether she gives enough of a sh*t to try to redeem hereslf in the first place. Apologize and do different."

This book, which follows Simone, Emory and Adela, will have you checking your privilege. Think for a moment about those things you judge others for.
When do you start a family?
Have you ever gotten pregnant without trying?
Do you attend church?
Do you have good grammar?
Did you regularly attend school as a kid?
How many children do you have?
Do you vote democrat or republican?
Do you have a high school diploma?
Do you have car insurance?

The answer to those questions is very strongly correlated to these two things.
1. The parents you were born to.
2. The time and place where you were born.

Neither of which you had any say in.

This book follows young girls who are pregnant and have children; how the world sees them, how determined they are, and how they make the best decisions they possibly can based on their circumstances. It takes place in Padua Beach, Florida, complete with periodic alligator attacks. This is not Miami, Naples, Orlando, or Fort Lauderdale. This is sad Hulk Florida. Panhandle low income. The girls are wonderful mothers and create a community to teach each other how to mother, how to get through life. This book is pretty inspiring. It will make you grateful for all you have.

Thanks to NetGalley and AA Knopf for the ARC. Book to be published June 24, 2025.

This is a rhapsodic piece of work, in love with its characters and themes and message. And its babies. It’s a kind of fantasy of sisterhood, among the rejected young women who are pregnant and poor. The idea is a good one, but the group itself remains vague in the novel, more of an idea than a presence. In front ofvit, however, stand the three central figures of whom Simone is the biggest and best, another fantasy of motherhood and survival, but an irresistible one. Emory and Adela are the secondary pair, not as compelling but necessary to the plot mechanism. The ebbs and flows of their choices drive the plot, and bring about the neat but satisfactory resolution.
It’s a big, immersive piece of work. At times it rhapsodized too long and repetitively. But there’ are a spirit and passion alive in the book, and a freshness in the voice, all of which deserve to succeed.