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Grown Women: A Gripping Debut Novel about Motherhood, Daughterhood, and Generational Trauma
A New Yorker Best Book of the Year
In this stunning debut novel, four generations of complex Black women contend with motherhood and daughterhood, generational trauma and the deeply ingrained tensions and wounds that divide them as they redefine happiness and healing for themselves.
In this stunning debut novel, four generations of complex Black women contend with motherhood and daughterhood, generational trauma and the deeply ingrained tensions and wounds that divide them as they redefine happiness and healing for themselves.
400 pages, Paperback
First published July 9, 2024
553 people are currently reading
18393 people want to read
About the author
Sarai Johnson
1 book192 followersI’m Sarai (pronounced Sara).
I’m a writing educator in the DC-Metropolitan Area with more than 10 years of experience. My career started in lifestyle journalism; I worked for The Indianapolis Star, The Alexandria Gazette, and DC Modern Luxury. I’ve worked with writing nonprofits Shout Mouse Press and Writopia Lab. I’ve also taught writing at Howard University and American University where I earned degrees in Journalism and Literature, respectively. I’m currently teaching full-time at Howard University while working on a second novel.
I grew up in the South (mostly Nashville, Tennessee) where I spent a lot of time hanging out by creeks and eating catfish (some of my favorite hobbies to this day).
I live in Alexandria, Virginia with my husband, two children, and dog.
I’m a writing educator in the DC-Metropolitan Area with more than 10 years of experience. My career started in lifestyle journalism; I worked for The Indianapolis Star, The Alexandria Gazette, and DC Modern Luxury. I’ve worked with writing nonprofits Shout Mouse Press and Writopia Lab. I’ve also taught writing at Howard University and American University where I earned degrees in Journalism and Literature, respectively. I’m currently teaching full-time at Howard University while working on a second novel.
I grew up in the South (mostly Nashville, Tennessee) where I spent a lot of time hanging out by creeks and eating catfish (some of my favorite hobbies to this day).
I live in Alexandria, Virginia with my husband, two children, and dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 653 reviews
June 18, 2024
(4.5 Stars!)
A fantastic debut that was moving, engaging, and felt fully realized in every way.
Four generations of complex Black women contend with motherhood and daughterhood, generational trauma, and the deeply ingrained tensions and wounds that divide them as they redefine happiness and healing for themselves.
I'll start by saying I don't usually love slow paced, character driven reads, but I was fully engrossed with this read from start to finish.
I wanted to know Charlotte, Corinna, Camille, and Evelyn and I did. Following them across decades, I knew them, their secrets, their hardships, and what made them who they are, so deeply and I felt for them, rooted for them, was mad at them, and fell in love with them. They are each so deeply flawed but so beautifully human.
I appreciate the approachable writing style. Each character felt distinct with their own voice and way of thinking. I found the plot to be engaging and flow well. Side characters were useful and well developed. The themes and their meaning were so powerful: mothers/daughters, ghosts, forgiveness vs forgetting, running way, absent fathers, happiness.
This is absolutely required reading for every woman as any woman would gain something from it. But as a black woman, I felt so seen in these characters and their interactions. It was almost deja vu. There are nuggets of wisdom and moments I'll be no doubt revisiting and using moving forward. It truly speaks to Johnson's skill.
I did struggle with the sort of "doom and gloom" and/or absence of male black figures/fathers in this book. It worked as far as the plot, but symbolically it felt weird. As Evelyn would say, maybe it's a metaphor!
Overall, this book is a win! Do yourself a favor and pick it up.
Thank you to the publisher for my free advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Read For:
- Family Saga (4 Generations of Black Women)
- Black Stories
- Family Secrets & Hardships
- Coming of Age
- Character Driven Read
A fantastic debut that was moving, engaging, and felt fully realized in every way.
Four generations of complex Black women contend with motherhood and daughterhood, generational trauma, and the deeply ingrained tensions and wounds that divide them as they redefine happiness and healing for themselves.
I'll start by saying I don't usually love slow paced, character driven reads, but I was fully engrossed with this read from start to finish.
I wanted to know Charlotte, Corinna, Camille, and Evelyn and I did. Following them across decades, I knew them, their secrets, their hardships, and what made them who they are, so deeply and I felt for them, rooted for them, was mad at them, and fell in love with them. They are each so deeply flawed but so beautifully human.
I appreciate the approachable writing style. Each character felt distinct with their own voice and way of thinking. I found the plot to be engaging and flow well. Side characters were useful and well developed. The themes and their meaning were so powerful: mothers/daughters, ghosts, forgiveness vs forgetting, running way, absent fathers, happiness.
This is absolutely required reading for every woman as any woman would gain something from it. But as a black woman, I felt so seen in these characters and their interactions. It was almost deja vu. There are nuggets of wisdom and moments I'll be no doubt revisiting and using moving forward. It truly speaks to Johnson's skill.
I did struggle with the sort of "doom and gloom" and/or absence of male black figures/fathers in this book. It worked as far as the plot, but symbolically it felt weird. As Evelyn would say, maybe it's a metaphor!
Overall, this book is a win! Do yourself a favor and pick it up.
Thank you to the publisher for my free advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Read For:
- Family Saga (4 Generations of Black Women)
- Black Stories
- Family Secrets & Hardships
- Coming of Age
- Character Driven Read
August 3, 2024
if you have mommy issues you absolutely Need to read this book...... this was so beautifully written and i will devour anything sarai johnson writes from now on! one of my favorite books of 2024!!!!!!! WOW
June 23, 2025
2/5 ⭐️ I really thought I would love this but I think my expectations were just too high. There was a lot of unnecessary details that didn’t add anything to the plot or the characters. I did like the different POV’s that depicted the effects of generational trauma on all the women, but I feel like it was all just surface level. The story also just didn’t flow very well. The timelines were all over the place and it was very confusing.
March 2, 2025
Grown Women follows a family of four generations of Black women, spanning many decades and explores their relationships with each other, motherhood, daughterhood, tensions, forgiveness, pain and happiness as they build their lives.
Evelyn and Charlotte have been estranged for years, but when Charlotte’s daughter, Corina, realizes Evelyn can provide a path to a better life and more for her own daughter, Camille, Charlotte reluctantly reaches out to Evelyn.
Each woman had trauma to reckon with and challenges they faced. While I didn’t love a lot of their decisions, I found myself rooting for each of them — I wanted them to have the lives they wanted.
Grown Women is an engaging story with well-developed characters. It’s a great family saga exploring complicated relationships and I’m really glad I read it, I loved it.
Evelyn and Charlotte have been estranged for years, but when Charlotte’s daughter, Corina, realizes Evelyn can provide a path to a better life and more for her own daughter, Camille, Charlotte reluctantly reaches out to Evelyn.
Each woman had trauma to reckon with and challenges they faced. While I didn’t love a lot of their decisions, I found myself rooting for each of them — I wanted them to have the lives they wanted.
Grown Women is an engaging story with well-developed characters. It’s a great family saga exploring complicated relationships and I’m really glad I read it, I loved it.
December 2, 2025
Phenomenal book!!! Five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and easily one of my TOP books of the year!
I’m so glad we read this for book club because I have SO MANY THOUGHTS!
Each of the characters had such a unique and varied perspective. I really liked the multiple POV with overlapping timelines. This style of writing allowed me to really get into the mind of each character. Evelyn, Charlotte, Corinna and Camille are each flawed and complicated characters.
There are themes of generational trauma, motherhood, daughterhood, addiction, forgiveness, and abuse.
I’m so glad we read this for book club because I have SO MANY THOUGHTS!
Each of the characters had such a unique and varied perspective. I really liked the multiple POV with overlapping timelines. This style of writing allowed me to really get into the mind of each character. Evelyn, Charlotte, Corinna and Camille are each flawed and complicated characters.
There are themes of generational trauma, motherhood, daughterhood, addiction, forgiveness, and abuse.
October 5, 2025
I really enjoy an inter-generational story with strong women lead. I felt the book started off very strong was waivered a lot in the end. It felt very repetitive and at one point I was like, "COME ON!!! WE WENT OVER THIS 5969794 times already"
August 4, 2024
It was an interesting observation on generational trauma. And an extensive observation on motherhood from multiple perspectives. Just felt a little long for me. Felt like a lot of reading for an average ending.
September 28, 2024
Very well written plot and loved the way characters and family dynamic was interwoven to build an unforgettable story line. Can’t wait to see what she writes next.
December 27, 2025
Give me a limited series rn
April 24, 2025
Before I begin my rant let me start by saying ya’ll need to read this book ASAP‼️ This was a beautifully written novel filled with so much emotional depth and complex characters that will make your reading experience unforgettable.
Exploring the complexity of Black womanhood, Black motherhood, mother-daughter relationships, the strain of mending broken maternal bonds, the deep impact of trauma through each generation, how a mother’s experiences can affect her parenting, and how a mother’s shortcomings and faults can be projected onto her child.
The book follows four generations of complex Black women and the wounds that divide them as they redefine happiness and healing for themselves. There were so many layers to this story it was honest, authentic, and raw. You’ll find yourself sympathizing with each woman in the book. Charlotte wasn’t the best mother to Corrina for many reasons partly due to her relationship with her mother Evelyn. She was running from her past life and instead of confronting the trauma inflicted by her mother she masked the pain with alcohol and drugs. Corrina tried to be a better mother to Camille but fell short. The failed mother-daughter relationship cycle continued through each generation but would stop with Camille as the women collectively decide to focus on her future and put her best interest first.
Overall, this book was amazing aside from its odd chapter structure the delivery was perfect. The characters are well-fleshed out and there is a seamless flow from one POV to the next. Johnson wrote this book so well you could feel the emotional weight each character had to carry. Her book will encourage readers to examine their own relationship with their mothers while also developing a deeper understanding of how their shared experiences have shaped and impacted their bond. Highly recommend this book.
Trigger warnings: Suicide, alcoholism, drug addiction, teen pregnancy, physical abuse
Exploring the complexity of Black womanhood, Black motherhood, mother-daughter relationships, the strain of mending broken maternal bonds, the deep impact of trauma through each generation, how a mother’s experiences can affect her parenting, and how a mother’s shortcomings and faults can be projected onto her child.
The book follows four generations of complex Black women and the wounds that divide them as they redefine happiness and healing for themselves. There were so many layers to this story it was honest, authentic, and raw. You’ll find yourself sympathizing with each woman in the book. Charlotte wasn’t the best mother to Corrina for many reasons partly due to her relationship with her mother Evelyn. She was running from her past life and instead of confronting the trauma inflicted by her mother she masked the pain with alcohol and drugs. Corrina tried to be a better mother to Camille but fell short. The failed mother-daughter relationship cycle continued through each generation but would stop with Camille as the women collectively decide to focus on her future and put her best interest first.
Overall, this book was amazing aside from its odd chapter structure the delivery was perfect. The characters are well-fleshed out and there is a seamless flow from one POV to the next. Johnson wrote this book so well you could feel the emotional weight each character had to carry. Her book will encourage readers to examine their own relationship with their mothers while also developing a deeper understanding of how their shared experiences have shaped and impacted their bond. Highly recommend this book.
Trigger warnings: Suicide, alcoholism, drug addiction, teen pregnancy, physical abuse
August 7, 2025
Wish I could give this 6 stars tbh 😪👏🏽 This book was raw, emotional, and beautifully written. I especially loved how it explored the complexity of motherhood and daughterhood across four generations of Black women.
It made me reflect on how we, as daughters, often want to honor the women who raised us while also trying to live the lives they couldn’t. But at some point, there has to be a line drawn, because choosing yourself is part of becoming the “grown woman” you’re meant to be. And watching Evelyn, Charlotte, Corinna, and Camille wrestle with that truth, in their own way, was both heartbreaking and beautiful. This wasn’t an easy to read, but it felt so real and honest.
It made me reflect on how we, as daughters, often want to honor the women who raised us while also trying to live the lives they couldn’t. But at some point, there has to be a line drawn, because choosing yourself is part of becoming the “grown woman” you’re meant to be. And watching Evelyn, Charlotte, Corinna, and Camille wrestle with that truth, in their own way, was both heartbreaking and beautiful. This wasn’t an easy to read, but it felt so real and honest.
July 6, 2025
This book gave me a greater appreciation for my mother, grandmother and all the women that came before them.
We follow the lives of 4 black women dealing with the generational traumas that plagued their family.
The author takes the reader through a journey of forgiveness, resentment, healing and growth.
While I didn't personally relate to the story/characters in this book, it shines a light on some dark truths.
My only critique is that the book felt too long/repetitive and the overall pacing was a bit choppy for me.
We follow the lives of 4 black women dealing with the generational traumas that plagued their family.
The author takes the reader through a journey of forgiveness, resentment, healing and growth.
While I didn't personally relate to the story/characters in this book, it shines a light on some dark truths.
My only critique is that the book felt too long/repetitive and the overall pacing was a bit choppy for me.
August 1, 2024
3.8 but I’ll round up. This one got better over time. I struggled with the choices the characters made. But ultimately I enjoyed the growth,pain, and experience each character brought to the story.
November 27, 2025
“Do it for you. Forgive your mother.”
Man, this story is so important. The transgenerational transmission of trauma, shame, guilt, secrecy and so much more was told in such a tangible way. You really get to know these characters and it somehow felt both familiar and completely unique.
Man, this story is so important. The transgenerational transmission of trauma, shame, guilt, secrecy and so much more was told in such a tangible way. You really get to know these characters and it somehow felt both familiar and completely unique.
March 1, 2025
“If she examined her mother’s love too closely, she might lose the most basic, essential love the world had to offer, so she shook it off as quickly as she could.”
This book was PHENOMENAL 💗
Grown Women is an absolutely beautiful portrayal of complex generational trauma passed down from mother to daughter. Evelyn to Charlotte, Charlotte to Corinna and Corinna to Camille.
The author weaves together a nuanced and compelling story of trauma, hurt, forgiveness, motherhood, redemption and healing.
I would highly recommend this book if you love character driven stories, complex characters, generational trauma, and generational healing.
This book was PHENOMENAL 💗
Grown Women is an absolutely beautiful portrayal of complex generational trauma passed down from mother to daughter. Evelyn to Charlotte, Charlotte to Corinna and Corinna to Camille.
The author weaves together a nuanced and compelling story of trauma, hurt, forgiveness, motherhood, redemption and healing.
I would highly recommend this book if you love character driven stories, complex characters, generational trauma, and generational healing.
April 27, 2025
3.5 rounded up. Sometimes it’s really hard for me to read or consume content about the mother wound or unfit mothers because I had the total opposite experience. This was a tough read due to the 4 women repeatedly doing the exact same things as they each came of age. I have so much empathy for this family but therapy was needed so much earlier to mitigate some of the trauma.
September 12, 2024
The book was good but it felt very disjointed and was entirely too long. But good for a first novel.
December 19, 2025
I feel like this was made for the type of reader I am 😭😍
February 17, 2025
i had really high expectations for this but i just didn't love it. it felt neither plot driven nor character driven because the characters felt surface level even though it touched on some heavy subjects. i wish i would've gotten more of their thoughts and feelings rather than just being told what happened.
it wasn't bad by any stretch and i will read whatever the author has next.
it wasn't bad by any stretch and i will read whatever the author has next.
June 13, 2025
5⭐️♾️ - “Grown Women”
🎧+📖
Somehow, we have all lived the same life, but different lives. Somehow, we all have the same mamas across the diaspora but they are also vastly different. There’s something about mothers and daughters. There is something about mother’s and tough love, trauma, and a lack of softness that happens in those relationships that mostly doesn’t show up between mother’s and Granddaughters. Often times we hear “My mama loves her grandkids and let them do anything! I sure didn’t get that when I was that age.” Is it a second chance? Or did mama have to survive at that time and now that she has, she can start over?
Sarai Johnson crafts this beautiful story in her debut novel of four generations of women who probably shouldn’t have had kids, but they did what they thought they were put here to do.
Each character was so dynamic. From meeting Charlotte and the emotions, I experienced in the first 20 minutes of listening to the book 😩(my IG stories were chaotic), to Corinna and her sweet spirit to her hustler game, to Camille who was the light of their lives, even though it was hard for them to admit it, and lastly meeting Evelyn…the beginning of it all.
There’s so much to unpack in this story with relationships between Black mothers and daughters and how a simple change in response from “Watch your mouth!” vs. “I understand. Let me meet you where you are,” can begin to heal a generation.
This was the one. One you should experience. The story is captivating from the first few pages.
Camille and Corinna are tied for my favorites.🩷Everyone had a moment of truth. Every character changed, whether they grew or just accepted where they are. Every character was flawed. And every character somehow came out on top.
✨Mother-Daughter Relationships
✨Generational Trauma
✨Family Secrets
✨Redemption
🎧+📖
Somehow, we have all lived the same life, but different lives. Somehow, we all have the same mamas across the diaspora but they are also vastly different. There’s something about mothers and daughters. There is something about mother’s and tough love, trauma, and a lack of softness that happens in those relationships that mostly doesn’t show up between mother’s and Granddaughters. Often times we hear “My mama loves her grandkids and let them do anything! I sure didn’t get that when I was that age.” Is it a second chance? Or did mama have to survive at that time and now that she has, she can start over?
Sarai Johnson crafts this beautiful story in her debut novel of four generations of women who probably shouldn’t have had kids, but they did what they thought they were put here to do.
Each character was so dynamic. From meeting Charlotte and the emotions, I experienced in the first 20 minutes of listening to the book 😩(my IG stories were chaotic), to Corinna and her sweet spirit to her hustler game, to Camille who was the light of their lives, even though it was hard for them to admit it, and lastly meeting Evelyn…the beginning of it all.
There’s so much to unpack in this story with relationships between Black mothers and daughters and how a simple change in response from “Watch your mouth!” vs. “I understand. Let me meet you where you are,” can begin to heal a generation.
This was the one. One you should experience. The story is captivating from the first few pages.
Camille and Corinna are tied for my favorites.🩷Everyone had a moment of truth. Every character changed, whether they grew or just accepted where they are. Every character was flawed. And every character somehow came out on top.
✨Mother-Daughter Relationships
✨Generational Trauma
✨Family Secrets
✨Redemption
November 30, 2024
4.5 round up
June 9, 2024
More detailed review to come, but this was a really wonderful and engrossing book. The characters are written as deeply flawed within the context of generational abuse/trauma. The way that the relationship between Camille and her grandparents is written? Brilliant. It highlights a very realistic dynamic in a way that shows how dimensional the characters and their motivations are. Read this in a single sitting because I couldn’t put it down!
November 15, 2024
A sweeping intergenerational story about one African American family of women and their experiences enduring trauma, addiction, parental neglect and more. While it was a touch long in my opinion, it was also well-written and incredibly moving. Recommended for fans of books like Black candle women by Diane Marie Brown.
August 9, 2024
Loved this book. 4 generations of Black women with wildly different yet very similar experiences. A beautifully written account of intergenerational trauma and healing and how the healing can go back UP the family tree, too. Highly recommend!
August 16, 2024
“Forgive your mother”
Before I say anything else, woooow everybody needed therapy. A big dose of therapy. I understand the stigma when it comes to us as Black people, and the book was pretty accurate on that. But dammit…
Grown Women is like a blueprint of what generational trauma is. The patterns just kept repeating and I was getting pretty angry, only because it was that real. Some of the things I wanted to dislike about this book were also things I knew to be real, so in that context I had to just realize how nuanced Sarai’s writing is. Truly well done as we navigated these 4 characters in full, the slow pacing gave us a chance to see within all of these women.
I cannot speak to this book from the eyes of a mother, but instead a daughter and youngest sister, especially seeing how difficult one of my sisters relationships is with our mother. Andre just like throughout the book, love is still existing despite whatever goes on. Even if spoken in an indirect way. I also viewed this book through the eyes of someone whose parents were alcoholics, and the theme of constantly needing a drink to function through was really loud and apparent.
The only reason I didn’t give this a full 5 star is because I need to know more about Corinna’s sexuality and how things with Isaac may have impacted that. Not that it’s a choice, but what made her give in without abandon? I wish that part was further developed.
Overall this was an excellent debut, reminded me a bit of the book Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow, so if you enjoyed that definitely give this a read.
Before I say anything else, woooow everybody needed therapy. A big dose of therapy. I understand the stigma when it comes to us as Black people, and the book was pretty accurate on that. But dammit…
Grown Women is like a blueprint of what generational trauma is. The patterns just kept repeating and I was getting pretty angry, only because it was that real. Some of the things I wanted to dislike about this book were also things I knew to be real, so in that context I had to just realize how nuanced Sarai’s writing is. Truly well done as we navigated these 4 characters in full, the slow pacing gave us a chance to see within all of these women.
I cannot speak to this book from the eyes of a mother, but instead a daughter and youngest sister, especially seeing how difficult one of my sisters relationships is with our mother. Andre just like throughout the book, love is still existing despite whatever goes on. Even if spoken in an indirect way. I also viewed this book through the eyes of someone whose parents were alcoholics, and the theme of constantly needing a drink to function through was really loud and apparent.
The only reason I didn’t give this a full 5 star is because I need to know more about Corinna’s sexuality and how things with Isaac may have impacted that. Not that it’s a choice, but what made her give in without abandon? I wish that part was further developed.
Overall this was an excellent debut, reminded me a bit of the book Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow, so if you enjoyed that definitely give this a read.
November 13, 2024
Thank you, @harperbooks for this gifted book! This book is out now!
The story begins when a young, pregnant Charlotte sneaks out of her opulent home and away from her mother, Evelyn, to start a new life for herself. Charlotte has a daughter, Corinna and years later Corinna will birth Camille.
These are the Jackson women. Four generations of Black women. Each with her story to tell, from rural Tennessee to luxury in Washington DC. There are many different mother/daughter dynamics, tension and secrets to be unearthed. The reader watches the effect of generational trauma and the journey of reconciliation and forgiveness within the lives of these four women!
I thought this was a beautifully written debut and I hope more readers will continue to pick it up! Definitely a slow-paced, character focused novel but the characters well excellently developed.
The story begins when a young, pregnant Charlotte sneaks out of her opulent home and away from her mother, Evelyn, to start a new life for herself. Charlotte has a daughter, Corinna and years later Corinna will birth Camille.
These are the Jackson women. Four generations of Black women. Each with her story to tell, from rural Tennessee to luxury in Washington DC. There are many different mother/daughter dynamics, tension and secrets to be unearthed. The reader watches the effect of generational trauma and the journey of reconciliation and forgiveness within the lives of these four women!
I thought this was a beautifully written debut and I hope more readers will continue to pick it up! Definitely a slow-paced, character focused novel but the characters well excellently developed.
October 15, 2024
3.5 stars!
This book is beautifully written. This is a very real story about multi generation trauma and motherhood. If you like stories about this topic you will most likely love this story. However, I must warn that this book is slow paced. While the characters are interesting as a character study, nothing BIG happens for there to be a any lead up or pivotal moments. If excitement is what you are looking for this may not please.
The story jumps around a bit between timelines and each of the characters names start with the letter C and are very similar. These two things I found added to the the difficulty of this book.
Read this if you like to sink into good writing and don't mind the slow pace. Read this if you like generational character studies.
This book is beautifully written. This is a very real story about multi generation trauma and motherhood. If you like stories about this topic you will most likely love this story. However, I must warn that this book is slow paced. While the characters are interesting as a character study, nothing BIG happens for there to be a any lead up or pivotal moments. If excitement is what you are looking for this may not please.
The story jumps around a bit between timelines and each of the characters names start with the letter C and are very similar. These two things I found added to the the difficulty of this book.
Read this if you like to sink into good writing and don't mind the slow pace. Read this if you like generational character studies.
August 19, 2024
This is a stunning slow paced novel. I love this family saga and the way the characters lives wove together. While the book jumped around a bit, I never felt lost or confused. I do think the story could have been a little tighter, but overall, I loved this book.
Thank you to the publisher for my copy.
Thank you to the publisher for my copy.
September 23, 2024
Whew, this hit so close to home as a black woman raised by both a mother and grandmother with a world of secrets to unfold. I so identified with Camille and her need to forge her own path of healing and peace.
November 15, 2024
5+. An emotional roller coaster. These women felt so real. The trauma. The vulnerability. The growth. Every facet of their humanity is perfectly drawn by Sarai Johnson. My favorite book of 2024!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 653 reviews