Mother Country

by Jacinda Townsend

A transnational feminist novel about human trafficking and motherhood from an award-winning author.

Saddled with student loans, medical debt, and the sudden news of her infertility after a major car accident, Shannon, an African American woman, follows her boyfriend to Morocco in search of relief. There, in the cobblestoned medina of Marrakech, she finds a toddler in a pink jacket whose face mirrors her own. With the help of her boyfriend and a bribed official, Shannon makes the fateful decision to adopt and raise the girl in Louisville, Kentucky. But the girl already has a Souria, an undocumented Mauritanian woman who was trafficked as a teen, and who managed to escape to Morocco to build another life.

In rendering Souria's separation from her family across vast stretches of desert and Shannon's alienation from her mother under the same roof, Jacinda Townsend brilliantly stages cycles of intergenerational trauma and healing. Linked by the girl who has been a daughter to them both, these unforgettable protagonists move toward their inevitable reckoning. Mother Country is a bone-deep and unsparing portrayal of the ethical and emotional claims we make upon one another in the name of survival, in the name of love.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Feminism, Africa, Novels, Literary Fiction, Adult

320 pages, Paperback

First published May 3, 2022

About the author

Jacinda Townsend grew up in Southcentral Kentucky. She studied at Harvard University and Duke University Law School before receiving her MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Since receiving her MFA she has been a Fulbright fellow to Côte d’Ivoire, a Carol Houck Smith fiction fellow at the University of Wisconsin, and a Hurston-Wright Award finalist. She lives in Bloomington, Indiana and teaches creative writing at Indiana University.

Reviews

[Noor Naga · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel asks such a thickly thorny question of motherhood, I've just finished and want to immediately read it again.

[Andre(Read-A-Lot) · Rating 5 out of 5]

She did it again. Jacinda Townsend is that woman! She is sneaky good with the pen. She has consistently good turns of phrases and makes the gruesome palatable. Just as she did with Saint Monkey, she spins a tale here that at times will gut punch you with sadness at how women can be mistreated so cavalierly by men. And, Ms. Townsend strikes just the right chords in exposing the horrors but holds the intimate gory at bay, that is a skill I think she has mastered in her short career.

In this story of two mothers, one biological, one choosing to be at the expense of the biological mother, the story moves from Mauritania to Morocco to Kentucky. And at the center is the young innocent Yu/Mardi caught between the mothers. If one needed a reminder on just how difficult mothering is, exhibit one is this novel. Mother Souria is the Mauritania mother in Morocco who escaped a heinous childhood complete with rape, and sex trafficking.

Mother Shannon is the privileged spoiled American who is in a loveless marriage she chose for convenience and financial relief. What happens to Yu/Mardi is heart breaking for Souria and a temporary blessing for Shannon. But is it really? The publishers blurb gives away a lot, but just know this, Jacinda Townsend has arrived. Period!

[Fran Hawthorne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those novels that gets better the more you read.

For almost the entire book, I was mesmerized by the dramatic story of Souria, a 14-year-old daughter of Mauritanian herders, who is sold off into sex slavery to pay her family's debts. Her strength and endurance kept me engaged as much as the horrifying plot twists.

However, for the first half of so, I detested the co-narrator, Shannon, a young Black woman from Kentucky, who is by turns depressed, lazy, wasteful, self-defeating, self-pitying, drug-addicted,and boring. In an ironic reversal of Souria's enslavement, Shannon essentially sells herself, marrying a man she disdains solely for his money. Yes, her parents were uncaring, but she throws away plenty of opportunities that Souria never even gets, along with a six-figure student loan.

Worst of all, of course, is Shannon's casual kidnapping of Souria's toddler daughter Yu outside the fabric shop where Souria works, in a souk in Marrakech. Her self-justification is so airy that it's hard to believe the author intends readers to sympathize with her. It's equally unbelievable that this undisciplined, childish woman would have the ability to carry out such an aggressive action.

But as the novel goes on, Shannon matures into a complex, more sympathetic person, as do Yu and Souria. I truly wanted both of the mother-figures to end up with the girl, and while I accurately predicted the denouement, there was enough tug-and-pull to keep me unsure.

What also boosts my opinion of this book is the author's vivid, beautiful descriptions. Her insight into motherhood is achingly on-target, though I felt that she skimped on Souria's initial despair.

[Lulu · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book deals with some heavy topics and honestly it blew my mind.

I couldn’t understand how very little thought process went into Shannon and Vladimir’s decision to just snatch a child off the street and leave the country with her. I was angry at how the citizens of Morocco made it so easy.

I was devastated how Souria, who suffered at every turn and endured so much felt one again helpless and unable to do or say anything about her missing child.

Shannon endured a lot as well, but her character was so selfish and unlikeable, that it didn’t even matter.

The writing was a little strange for me as it sometimes jumped into what seems like stream of consciousness from a narrative perspective.

I think this would make a great book club selection as there is tons to unpack with this one.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this novel to read about the differences between the two women of different cultures and class. I understood that the book would include harrowing experiences of slavery, sex trafficking, and violence but the brutality didn’t need to be that explicit to get the point across. I don’t expect the author to be a neuroscientist but basic googling is necessary - nerves don’t have channels. The author used the central nervous system as a metaphor often and did not use the correct terms so she should have dropped it. The writing was terrible with ridiculous descriptions such as “… his thick glasses magnifying the rosy circles of constipation under his eyes." (P.31). I don’t know what that means.

[Susan Yoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very good, but challenging to read. The beginning starts a little slow bc I know nothing about Northern Africa. I had to look up a lot of words and famous historic people, names, places, etc. Once you get into the story, it’s gut wrenching. Sections of the book are really hard to read. You don’t want to believe that terrible things can randomly happen to people, and that some people can never recover from them.

[Shauna Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished “Mother Country” which is lush with sensory detail, well-crafted turns of phrase, and a powerful storyline.

I urge you to add this novel to your early summer reading list. It’s stunning.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

thoughts coming shortly

[Kenitra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was honored when Jacinda Townsend team reach out to me to read and review her book “Mother County” I knew little to nothing bout her but was beyond honored they reached out to me. After the email I did some research and saw she is an award winning author. That’s truly amazing and again thank you for placing your trust in me.
I didn’t read any reviews for this book before reading it, I didn’t want other’s opinions of this book take away from my own. So this review is all my opinion and no one else. I want to be open and honest with my review. So what’s for you is for you and what’s for me is for me.
This book was hard to read at times just because of how real it is. Sometimes when I read things so realistic like the pages in this book it can be a bit to much to read at times. Nevertheless it was a good read. A bit of a slow burn at times but that’s okay.
Now some parts of the book I didn’t really understand and I had to tap into google to do some research on somethings, and I beat myself up because I wasn’t knowledgeable enough to know the places and people the book talked about. After reading this book I wanted to learn more about North Africa.
This book is about a women named Shannon who follows her boyfriend to Morocco with the hopes of finding relief. While there she finds a child, and with the help of her boyfriend they make the fateful choice to adopt the baby girl and raise her as her own. They move to the Kentucky not knowing that the little girl already has a mother.
Souria the mother of the little girl happens to be an undocumented Mauritanian women who was sadly trafficked as a teenager. She had managed to escape to Morocco to try to better herself. These two women become linked up for the love that they have for this little girl who they both are mothers too.
Reading this book you are going to want to reach out and wanna hug Souria, the things that she had to endure in her life. The things that you read in this book will have you grabbing your chest and just taking a moment to let everything sink in.
If I had to rate this book I would rate it ⭐️⭐️⭐️. I like the book, like I stated before it’s a bit of a slow burn. To me the book really picked up at the end. This book was well written and I feel like the author did a really good job at telling the story. I would recommend this book to my family and friends. This book is available on Amazon and on kindle. If you would like to get you a copy.

[Mrs Mommy Booknerd http://mrsmommybooknerd.blogspot.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

#FirstLine - And what, after all, to make of a choice?

Such a great first line, right!?!? I enjoyed this book. It makes you think, feel, and and will change you. The story is not easy to read, but the heartbreaking portions are so beautifully written and there are hopeful parts too. There is a balance in the story that allows the reader to go on a well paced journey. Townsend is truly a gifted storyteller! You will always remember this book and will want to chat with others about it! Also, be warned: This book is hard to put down!

[gravy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the first half does tend to drag, come the second half, Townsend not only trumps her previous work in terms of this one’s heights, but also proves to elevate Mother Country into one of the most stunningly unique books I’ve ever read. It’s relentlessly creative, as it weaponizes its prose and plot structure to a stunning degree, and, similarly to Townsend’s debut, Saint Monkey, is absolutely soul-crushing, though perhaps this novel is laced with a little more hope.
Though Saint Monkey is probably more consistent in quality—and I ultimately find it more personal, and thus prefer it slightly more than this novel—Mother Country definitely has higher highs, and probably one of the best chapters of any book I’ve ever read in the form of "The Coast".
Ultimately, the first half does drag this down to an 8/10, but make no mistake, Mother Country is not one to miss. It’s perhaps one of the most unique things I’ve ever read, like, ever.

[MARGARET R · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was hard to read because I didn’t like the Shannon character and the flipping back and forth with Souria was hard to keep track of but it got better at the end and I really enjoyed the final part of the story.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book I liked but didn’t love about human trafficking and motherhood. What does it take to mother? This one was at times difficult to get through emotionally. It didn’t just make me sad, but some of the characters made me angry as well, especially the Americans. I am still glad U read it because it will give me and my book club a great deal to discuss.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm glad I read this for its literary value and insights into some areas of the world I've never read about. It was eye opening for me to think about each character's world and the harsh realities they faced.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook and couldn't get through it. That's usually a bad sign as the author's use of language in that format comes through more clearly than if you just read it. If I had read the print version I doubt I would have made it even halfway.

The story sounded interesting but none of the characters are particularly likeable - in fact they feel stereotypical. Shannon is your typically clueless, irresponsible American suffering under the weight of student loans and medical debt who therefore feels entitled to take whatever she can from life, even if that means taking from others worse off than herself. Her backstory feels like something ripped from the headlines and, in making her so unsympathetic, the author fails to make the reader feel torn between identifying with her or the enslaved mother, Souria, which would have made a more controversial but interesting novel.

Halfway through I just stopped caring about what happened to her or her similarly shallow husband, Vladmir. Their relationship felt bland and unreal, as I couldn't detect any real love between them. As a result, I wasn't invested in her infertility situation as much as I should have been. Not having kids myself, I related to some of her feelings of sadness and regret, but to the situation itself, not to the character. Their sex scenes never had 'heat' and bordered on parody.

On the other hand, the enslaved woman, and her story, is far more compelling and the only parts of the narrative I enjoyed was when it shifted to her. Perhaps this would have been a better book if it was a first person novel from her point of view. Instead, we get alternating chapters between that of the enslaved woman who loses her child and spoiled, entitled Shannon. As a result, I was bored most of the time.

The author writes well but her prose has that bland, MFA quality that is widespread these days in literary fiction. It's as if being boring is somehow synonymous with being "serious." There are some poetic flights of fancy that seek to draw deeper meaning from a situation that isn't fully fleshed out or believable. I am so tired of novels that have no real plot and serve only to show off how skilled the writer is in using metaphors she learned in an MFA class.

[Epiphany Ferrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page-turner you'll want to linger over, to absorb its beauty. Part dreamscape, part fairytale, part the saddest song you ever heard, this book is epic in its emotional landscape.

This is a story of mother love, the love that comes from birthing a child, and the love that arises from the act of mothering. What makes a mother? And what makes a daughter?

Here’s the plot basic: an American woman kidnaps a toddler she encounters in Marrakesh. Eventually, she returns to Morocco to reconcile the little girl with her birth mother.

The story is about so much more than that. It’s about the struggles women face—in a restricted society or in a wide-open one. For Shannon, the American woman, the struggles include crippling debt, infertility, a practical marriage, a loveless childhood. For Souria, a Mauritanian woman living in Morocco, her difficult life includes illegal immigration, sex trafficking, abandonment, poverty, and single parenthood.

Townsend delves into each of these topics—and more—with a keen analytical mind, a soulful understanding, and truly beautiful language. Every single part of this story is so well crafted, everything means something.

I would be remiss if I did not remark on the descriptions of Morocco, of the cities Marrakesh and Essaouria. You can lose yourself in Townsend’s writing—you’ll swear you can feel the heat of the day coming through the pages.

For a mother, for a daughter, for anyone who has loved or felt unloved, this book will touch parts of your heart you thought were unassailable. It will make you remember.

"Forgiveness had been a process of remembering, rather than forgetting." Souria

[Michelle O'Neill · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 It’s a slow burn getting to know each of the women. At first I preferring getting to know Shannon because she was American and more familiar. But over time I grew to like following Souria as well. Then it was a sharp punch in the gut when one of them steals the others child. I thought I wanted that part to happen earlier because it seemed exciting, like it’s the main drama of the book. But it was devastating. It was maddening to hear the perspectives of all the bystanders who watched this kidnapping happen and did nothing to stop it. It was an interesting way to describe the kidnapping through third parties instead of those directly involved. The first chapter from the perspective of the Yumni was brutal to read. It was written in a really interesting way, like a consciousness stuck in a brain with only 3 years of development struggling to make sense of its world in a confusing new situation. It showed the insight, awareness, and total lack of power young children have. The rest of the book post kidnapping felt too short. It was too big of a thing to be wrapped up so easily. I wish there was more time spent with Yumni/Mardi. I naively assumed that everything would be ok if Yumni/Mardi was just returned to her mother. But too much time had passed and the cultures were too different. It reminded me of other international adoption stories I’ve heard and of the struggles of first generation children whose parents immigrated to the states. This splitting of self, not feeling like you belong anywhere. It’s very sad. This book is heavy.

[Jenna Vaughn · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I do think this book could benefit from trigger warnings, "Rape, Enslavement, extreme poverty, substance abuse, racism, and colorism." Just to name a few!

Initially, this book was so disjointed. I found it hard to get into it- at first. For example, I was following a story of a woman kidnapping a child from a marketplace, and then all of a sudden, she's talking about this deadly car accident where she'd almost been killed, but I think that was her remembering the past. It was just confusing.

The main plot is that an indolent American woman kidnaps a toddler she encounters in Marrakesh. But really, it follows the journey of two very different women. One lives in extreme poverty but attempts to follow her faith and do the next right thing. The other wants more but feels like she lacks what it takes to be like others and be loved and accepted.

This book made me feel a lot of feelings!
OMG, the description of infertility treatments! 😂😂😂 So true! The rage and frustration and longing came through.

I was so angry at the nearby shopkeeper for not saying anything. My heart was breaking for Souria! 💔 The Embassy guy… ugh!

Overall it was a good story that'll I'll likely think about in the future.

**Electronic advanced reader copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

[Allison Butterbaugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mother Country tells the story of two women’s very unique and adjacent motherhood journeys. This book immediately poses the question of “what is it to be a mother?”, and I do wish that there was more focus on that. I felt that the context in which each of these women’s stories were taking place distracted me from that particular takeaway. The story was good and does make you consider the pain and trauma associated with motherhood, the pain of loss and infertility, the pressure to become a mother, etc. all while dealing with the other complexities of life, but unfortunately I had trouble following at times. It wasn’t easy to understand the point in time that each chapter was taking place; I felt that the timeline jumped around somewhat unnaturally. As intricate and interesting as the story was, I just couldn’t connect with the main characters, which may be due in part to the unlikeliness of the events in the book. Overall, a very interesting book with complicated characters that will make you think.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Whew...a lot of heavy topics in this one! Race. Power. Privilege. Violence against women. Sex trafficking. Then there was the intense theme of motherhood. The pain. The longing. Infertility and loss.

While I was caught up in the story I also kept thinking, "No, things don't happen that way." Parts of it seemed hard to believe. Can someone literally pick up a child on a street in Morrocco and claim it as one's own?
I had trouble relating to the motherhood themes and the intense longing for a child...but that's just me. The writing was mostly good but sometimes a bit ham-handed. What the heck does this mean: "His thick glasses magnifying the rosy circles of constipation under his eyes." HUH? Sometimes it was difficult to follow the time period because it jumped around a great deal. This is an author with promise though.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was... okay. It had 2 main POV characters (along with a third occasionally), and the complexity of their unknown relationship with each other made the flips feel hard to follow for me--i understood them, but couldn't emotionally shift very well. In general, it felt maybe a little overly ambitious (esp with the 3rd POV character, who i thought would be easiest to connect to but was written in a way where she was very much not).

That said, the characters were complex and interesting, and the plot raised really intense questions about motherhood, capitalism, colonization, race, and power. So all in all, a very uneven 3 stars.

[Tracy Bui · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into this book blind and was not expecting the heavy topics. I had to take a breather to reassess what I thought of the book.

It was a bit slow and hard to follow initially but it turned into a beautiful story. There was love and there was loss. There was pain and there was joy (although fewer and further between for the characters).

Some of the modern-day mentions - like Doja Cat and such felt a bit strange to me. I understand the book is supposed to be written in the modern day and I'm not sure if it was the pace and sound of the narrator but it felt like it didn't belong - like the story was set earlier.

Overall a great storyline but just fairly dull in my opinion.

[Carole Landry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not so much of plot and setting but rather a stream of consciousness in alternating chapters. One view point from a young black woman who has accompanied her new boy friend to Morocco. He is set on starting a family but she knows she cannot have children. The other view point is that of a young African girl who is kidnapped into slavery and endures violence until she escapes from the desert and finds herself in a large city. One woman needs a child. Another woman has a child she is struggling to support. This can't end well.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was well written but was not a page turner. The back cover asks us what it means to be a mother, yet spent very little of the book answering or even referring to the question. While it was nice to get so much back story of each main character/mother, it was too much compared to finally referring to the initial question. It also would've been nice to have more of the daughter's perspectives, especially as she grew older (not just a quick skim into the future). Good book but false advertising of a very good question.

[Linda Prieskorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very heavy, and emotionally draining- that includes the plot, the characters, and the vocabulary. The beginning was very difficult as it outlines the lives of the two adult female characters. One woman has bad luck and addresses it with cruelty, selfishness, and abuse to herself and others.
The other is treated with misfortune, cruelty, and abuse but is never one to treat others the same.
The third major character is a victim.
The men in the book are basically clueless.
You have to be tough to handle this book.

[Jennifer Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family doesn’t always equate to the best relationships. This book is heavy and sad. It speaks to the resilience of mothers and the heavy burden any parent has the capacity to hold. I had to take breaks because I don’t do well with abuse if any kind but it was a beautifully sad story of broken women finding happiness in existing, settling and suppressing.

[Niatate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this would be interesting from reading the summary. I couldn’t connect with the main character. I felt like the story rambled and I struggled to keep interest. It was not a bad read, just not for me.
****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

[Suzy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't get through this one. I made it halfway through the audiobook. I think it was a mix or the story jumping around, some interesting language choices I couldn't connect with, and the actual narrator herself. This book has great reviews so I'll chalk it up as just one that didn't work for me, at least in the format that I engaged.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I loved it and it’s amazing important subject. I loved the authors bravery at trying to use traditional structure but also try something new. Beautiful metaphors through out. I struggled sometimes with all the prose and the experimental aspects so it was not an easy read. But it was well worth it.

[EB]

Best line: "she wondered whether Tumtum, too, has used her body as a means of finding shelter" (115). It's a story about bodies first and foremost - women's bodies, their uses, and their owners - but the characters aren't as developed as I'd like and the plot also isn't especially believable.