Grown Women

Traveling between Tennessee to Washington, DC, Johnson’s moving debut traces the lives of four generations of Black American women, stretching from the 1970s to the near present. Evelyn, her daughter Charlotte, granddaughter Corinna, and great-granddaughter Camille navigate intergenerational trauma and the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, put to the test by 18-year-old Charlotte’s unexpected pregnancy in 1974 and her daughter Corrina’s pregnancy at 17. Throughout, the women contend with the devastating effects of alcohol addiction, parental neglect, interracial relationships, domestic abuse, and the pressure to achieve and succeed. Audie Award–winning narrator Karen Chilton imbues her performance with empathy and emotion, evoking the women’s pathos and enduring hope despite facing challenges on both personal and national levels. The audio occasionally requires close listening as the story moves backward and forward through time and is told from the women’s alternating perspectives. Even so, the book brims with emotional depth, nuance, and heart, making this one not to miss.