What Momma Left Me

Watson, Renee What Momma Left Me
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 224p 16.99
978-1-59990-446-7 ms E-BN
Thirteen year old Serenity loses her mother and her father and she and her brother go to live with their grandparents. This is a novel with strong African American characters and is an excellent selection for libraries looking for faith based titles.
Thirteen year old Serenity witnesses her mother’s murder and both she and her year younger brother have to go to live with their grandparents. Her father has disappeared and the strong and loving grandparents, grandfather a minister, help both Serenity and Danny get through the tragedy as well as the everyday teenage stresses. The plot develops through Serenity’s journal and each chapter starts with an assignment from her English teacher. The story of the unfortunate tragedy unfolds as Serenity writes in her journal. While dealing with the death of her parents, both at the hands of her father, Serenity goes through the trials and tribulations of being a teen, changing schools, peer pressure, seeing her brother get caught up with friends who are leading him down the wrong path, and she, herself, being swayed away from the way she knows she wants to live her life. Her grandparents’ love, the lessons her mother taught her, and the support of her church and religion, all help her to celebrate her life in dark times. It is written in a down to earth manner that highlights Christian ethics but it is by no means preachy nor does the author proselytize. This book will be an excellent selection for schools with a need for urban novels as well as faith based novels.
Recommended for Tristate Books of Note. Recommended for Tristate Books of Note. This book will be an excellent selection for schools with a need for urban novels (it takes place in the Pacific Northwest - Oregon!) as well as faith based novels. Weinraub, Tina