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THE MORROW GIRLS COME OF AGE...

Now the mother of six daughters, Belinda has three willful teenagers. As Nikki, Mya, and Jackie test boundaries, experimenting with love, sex, and drugs, Belinda tries everything she can think of to rein them in before they go too far. But Morrow blood runs thick and the tighter she pulls the reins, the more her girls rebel. Until she loses her grip completely and secrecy, addiction, and wounds from the past send the Morrow girls hurling down treacherous paths.

Notes of Distinction:

2016 BOOK OF THE YEAR FINALIST (Foreword Reviews)

1 OF THE BEST BOOKS OF 2016 (IndieReader)

1 OF THE BEST INDIE COVERS OF 2015 (IndieReader)

460 pages, Paperback

First published May 10, 2015

6 people are currently reading
425 people want to read

About the author

D. Bryant Simmons

6 books44 followers
D. Bryant Simmons is an award-winning author who pens realistic fiction that straddles the line between art and social commentary. She is currently hard at work on The Morrow Girls Series, a family saga that spans three generations of women. Simmons' fiction delves into muddy waters, exploring subjects such as domestic violence, addiction, and mental illness. She believes novels can act as agents of change and hopes that her writing will inspire and empower women.

Simmons' writing style is reflective of her personality. She suffers from a horrible case of impatience. She values emotional connections above all else and is hopelessly distrustful of happy endings.

She is a graduate of the Univeristy of Illinois where she earned her BA in Sociology. She also has an M.Ed in Education.

D. Bryant Simmons resides in Chicago, Illinois.

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5 stars
19 (54%)
4 stars
12 (34%)
3 stars
3 (8%)
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Profile Image for Elizabeth (Perusing Princesses).
731 reviews34 followers
March 18, 2015
AMAZING....
Ok.. I have digested this incredible story for a little bit now, and I will string a few words together... I know I won't do it justice.. but I will try.

In How to Knock a Bravebird from Her Perch (Morrow Girls #1), We were taken through the emotional journey of "Pecan" Morrow. A young woman who due to tragic circumstances is married quickly to Ricky Morrow, an up and coming fighter, and an up and coming abuser.
She has 4 precious girls with Ricky... FOUR precious little girls who along with their mother had to endure his wrath.

In Blue Sky, the story continues immediately after the end of How to Knock a Bravebird from Her Perch (Morrow Girls #1). I truly loved this.. In this book Pecan is Married to Heziah, and they have their girls. The main focus is on the Morrow Girls, Nikki, Jackie and Mya. You get glimpses into their lives while they were not with their momma, but the most important is that you get to really know them individually... their weeknesses and their strengths. Their brave personalities as lost little girls and the mistakes and bad choices that ultimately come from that.

You get to grow with them and are a part of their family, their individuality, their first loves and their heartaches. These girls are broken, and try as Pecan might.. they are LOST. I want to give you so many details and spoilers so that you can see the intricacies of their lives and the destiny that ultimately became their lives.. but I won't.. I need you to dive into this book and experience the happiness, sadness, frustration and tears just as I did.

I look forward to the next installment by D. Bryant Simmons... hopefully SOOOOON!!
Profile Image for Marisa.
224 reviews43 followers
July 17, 2015
This is an interesting story because it is really 4 stories in 1 and we get to know each character pretty well! It is definitely a fun concept on how it was written and I can't wait to see more books set up like this in the future!!
Profile Image for NarniaGirl.
181 reviews
July 14, 2017
Received free through GoodReads First Reads - thank you.

New author for me but not my kind of read. Well written but I couldn't finish it as it deals with the darker side of life with molestation and statutory rape.
Profile Image for Nali's Shelter.
478 reviews1 follower
May 29, 2017
Recensione presente anche sul Blog: http://nalisshelter.blogspot.com/


Partendo dal presupposto che adoro la copertina,la storia mi ha completamente catturata,ma partiamo dall'inizio. Il romanzo racconta la storia di Pechan e delle sue figlie,raccontata dal punto di vista suo,di Nikki,la sua figlia maggiore,Jackie,la terza figlia e Mya,la secondogenita. Le varie narratrici si alternano portando il lettore nella loro vita fino alle profondità dei loro sentimenti e dei loro segreti più profondi. E' la storia di una famiglia distrutta dalle violenze e dagli abusi,divisa per quattro anni per poi riunirsi sotto lo stesso tetto quando ormai le cose sono andate troppo oltre perchè si possa tornare indietro. Le Morrow sono le donne contro la quale nessuno vorrebbe trovarsi,quelle a cui niente va mai bene,ma che riescono comunque a tirare avanti e a prendersi quel che gli spetta,anche attraverso le ingiustizie e sono sicura che nel prossimo romanzo quello che sto dicendo si rivelerà vero,perchè conoscendo i personaggi ne ho la certezza. In questo secondo romanzo vengono raccontate le cose con salti temporali di anni,partendo però da come tutto è cominciato,per poi fare salti temporali di tre/quattro anni nei vari periodi dell'anno nella quale vengono narrate una dopo l'altre le disgrazie che le Morrow dovranno affrontare ,tra sofferenze,rivincite e anche sofferenze e delusioni,ma sono donne forti e affrontano tutto a testa alta.
Non voglio spoilerarvi tutto il romanzo,per questo la trama che vi sto dando è molto approssimativa,perchè altrimenti questa recensione sarebbe uno spoiler tutto da leggere,perchè il romanzo è tutto colmo di colpi di scena,in ogni singola pagina.
I personaggi sono vari,ognuno importante ed ognuno con una storia da raccontare,tanto che starei qui fino a domani se dovessi elencarveli tutti.
Pechan/Belinda è la madre delle ragazze. Una donna forte che avuto la forza di ribellarsi alle violenze e ad uscirne,non nel migliore dei modi,ma lei almeno ce l'ha fatta. E' anche una madre che si prende cura delle proprie figlie a costo della sua stessa vita,ma che non fa altro che rinfacciarsi e chiedersi se tutto ciò che le sue figlie stanno affrontando sia per le sue scelte e per le sue azioni,perchè sa che le ferite sono ancora freschissime in ognuna di loro.
Mya,la mia preferita in assoluto tra le sorelle,togliendo Jackie,of course. Quella che,secondo me,ha sofferto più di tutte,colei che è dovuta crescere molto più delle altre,pur essendo anche loro troppo mature per la loro età,una ragazza che ha dovuto prendere in mano la sua vita a soli 16 anni,perchè sapeva di aver preso delle strade sbagliata,ma è stata troppo orgogliosa per ammetterlo e tutto questo le si ritorcerà contro,ma non sia arrenderà mai.E',secondo me,la più forte tra le sorelle,la più intelligente e la più matura,una donna vera che sa ciò che vuole e che non fa altro che alzare da terra le persone a cui vuole bene,perchè una donna forte è questo che fa,pensa prima alle persone che ama e poi al suo bene,perchè gli viene naturale.
Nikki,lei a mio parere è la più sciocca della famiglia,troppo ingenua per capire ciò che le succede attorno e troppo testarda per ascoltare quelli che erano i consigli di una persona che voleva solo il suo bene.
Jackie,la mia preferita,assieme a Mya. Ho amato il suo personaggio,pur essendo una persona abbandonata a se stessa,con problemi di droghe,abusi e alcol,tutto questo era solo una copertura per non dare a vedere quanto avesse sofferto e quanto ancora stesse soffrendo,perchè le ferite non si rimarginano mai,neanche il tempo può rimarginarle,tutto ciò che ti ferisce ti rimane dentro e ti condiziona fino alla morte e questo lei lo sa bene,anzi benissimo.
Una frase che decontestualizzata è bellissima,contestualizzata molto di più,ma non vi dirò mai il contesto,dovrete andarlo a leggere.
Questo libro MI HA LETTERALMENTE RAPITA e non in senso metaforico,intendo per davvero,visto e considerato che ho passato l'intero pomeriggio fino a quando non ho iniziato a scrivere questa recensione tra le sue pagine impaziente di finirlo. Ogni volta che ero costretto a chiuderlo era un dolore atroce al cuore,ma dovevo,il dovere chiama e io devo rispondere.E' stato un piacere farmi rapire da questo romanzo e spero vivamente l'autrice lo porti in Italia,perchè merita davvero di essere letto.Pur non avendo pianto,devo dire che questo romanzo è entrato nella mia Top Ten ,non ad una posizione altissima,ma è comunque tra i miei Must Read e per questo ve lo consiglio vivamente.
Profile Image for Perusing Princesses.
529 reviews14 followers
March 19, 2015
AMAZING....
Ok.. I have digested this incredible story for a little bit now, and I will string a few words together... I know I won't do it justice.. but I will try.

In How to Knock a Bravebird from Her Perch (Morrow Girls #1), We were taken through the emotional journey of "Pecan" Morrow. A young woman who due to tragic circumstances is married quickly to Ricky Morrow, an up and coming fighter, and an up and coming abuser.
She has 4 precious girls with Ricky... FOUR precious little girls who along with their mother had to endure his wrath.

In Blue Sky, the story continues immediately after the end of How to Knock a Bravebird from Her Perch (Morrow Girls #1). I truly loved this.. In this book Pecan is Married to Heziah, and they have their girls. The main focus is on the Morrow Girls, Nikki, Jackie and Mya. You get glimpses into their lives while they were not with their momma, but the most important is that you get to really know them individually... their weeknesses and their strengths. Their brave personalities as lost little girls and the mistakes and bad choices that ultimately come from that.

You get to grow with them and are a part of their family, their individuality, their first loves and their heartaches. These girls are broken, and try as Pecan might.. they are LOST. I want to give you so many details and spoilers so that you can see the intricacies of their lives and the destiny that ultimately became their lives.. but I won't.. I need you to dive into this book and experience the happiness, sadness, frustration and tears just as I did.

I look forward to the next installment by D. Bryant Simmons... hopefully SOOOOON!!
Profile Image for Leslie.
96 reviews
November 10, 2015
This book is well-written. The content, however, is very unsettling. Child molestation, statutory rape and completely ineffective parenting. I honestly just don't feel good reading this story. I received "How to Knock a Brave Bird from Her Perch" for free from Nook Books. I had a hard time reading that story, as Pecan continually allowed life to happen to her and her children. But I was invested enough in the hope of life with Heziah that I paid for Blue Sky. I don't think I can continue reading...It's just too heartbreaking. I know there are lives where these stories are reality, but it's so heart-wrenching, I just can't spend the time in the depths of depraved humanity for entertainment. I can't continue reading to experience the unfortunate fate that will befall Mya. The book is well written, so it deserves a 4, but why anyone would choose to read it, I can't fathom.
Profile Image for C. Gonzales.
1,182 reviews58 followers
November 12, 2015
This is a deep novel. It really delves into multiple serious issues and the author handles telling the stories of all 4 girls effortlessly. I loved that it was a blended novel about multiple characters.

I enjoyed the pacing and plot as a whole. The writing style was very easy to follow.

This is a second in a novel and having not read the first, I didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised with how I kept up. I do want to read the first novel now to see what tidbits I can add to the information I gathered from Blue Sky.
Profile Image for R.K. Emery.
1,313 reviews57 followers
December 3, 2015
This is an extremely emotional family drama. There is a lot that goes into this and it can really hit home for so many people. I do think that it could be a difficult read, but it is so worth it. D. Bryant Simmons has written a very compelling novel. The characters are so captivating and readers will be invested from the get-go. Make sure to have a tissue handy! But there is so much more to this novel and it will keep you on your toes to the end.
Profile Image for Nicole.
12 reviews2 followers
July 19, 2015
Great continuation of the Morrow Girls! Can't wait for more!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews