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Rocking the Babies
Two Black women working as volunteer grandmothers for sick babies at a hospital feel a mutual distrust when they first meet but come to feel a great need for each other
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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May 22, 2015
The ad in the newspaper asks for volunteers to help rock and comfort premature and drug-addicted babies in the neonatal intensive care unit at the hospital. Two very different middle-aged black women answer the ad.
Nettie Lee Johnson has worked most of her life at the tire plant in Dayton, Ohio. At forty she unexpectedly found herself a single mother, and had high hopes for her daughter Yolanda. Unfortunately, Yolanda has been a source of disappointment and heartache to her mother. Despite being raised by a hard-working, fairly strict and very practical mother, Yolanda grows into an irresponsible, spoiled and self-centered teenager. At fifteen she becomes pregnant by her fourteen-year-old boyfriend, a slick-talking but not particularly bright wannabe thug named Byron, usually called Barn. After the birth of her son, called Little Barn, Yolanda becomes bored with motherhood and eventually gets hooked on crack, leaving Nettie to raise Little Barn.
Martha is a just-retired librarian about Nettie's age, a divorcee for many years and mourning the crib death of her only son Paul long ago. She is looking to fill her lonely days with something meaningful, and the volunteer grandmother job at the hospital seems the perfect fit for her.
The nursery is filled with tiny, fragile newborns with various problems, many relating to their mothers' drug use. One baby in particular has an especially sad backstory: Baby X was born two months early, addicted to crack and with a life-threatening heart condition. Her mother abandoned her on a cold winter night in a Port-a-Potti on a construction site, and nobody knows who she is.
Nobody except Nettie, that is. Nettie knows that Baby X's mother is Yolanda, and she is determined to take care of the baby somehow; but she is afraid to tell anyone what she knows for fear Yolanda will be prosecuted. Rocking Baby X in the nursery seems to be the best she'll be able to manage for the time being.
Nettie and Martha take an immediate dislike to each other. Nettie is blunt and outspoken, and has worked a factory job all her life and has never had much money. Martha is well-educated and well-off and tends to be a bit snobbish and prissy, at least in Nettie's estimation.
Martha too has a fixation on Baby X, whom she has privately named Faith; she wants to become a licensed foster mother with an eye toward adopting Faith when she is released from the hospital. Nettie is made aware of Martha's plan and is openly hostile toward her, which Martha cannot understand.
Nettie and Martha spend long days in the busy nursery, holding the babies and occasionally asissting the nurses with basic procedures. They meet many of the babies' parents, including LaRone Cruz, whose son Daquille was born with cocaine in his system. LaRone comes to the nursery often to spend time with her son, and she's usually accompanied by her friend Shavonne, who is herself very pregnant. At first LaRone is sullen and defensive; she knows the harm her actions have caused her son and she resents the judgment she feels from others.
Gradually the four women begin to share their stories and to respect each other. Nettie sees that Martha has been lonely all her life, despite her apparent privilege; she lost her beloved brother when he was shot as a teenager by a white neighbor who mistook him for an intruder. Her baby son died in her arms, and her husband eventually left her.
LaRone begins to see that while she has made bad choices, she is lucky enough to be able to turn things around for herself and Daquille, and the more she realizes this, the more willing she is to reach out to others for help.
But there's still the issue of Baby X. Her health is not improving, and the doctors and nurses are not optimistic about her chances for survival. A rather pushy and overeager social worker seems to have made it her mission to find and punish the baby's mother, and while she is supportive of Martha's desire to become a foster mother, she informs her that her chances of being able to adopt Faith are not good.
As Baby X's health continues to fail, Nettie makes the difficult decision to come clean about her relationship to the baby. She doesn't know where Yolanda is, and wouldn't reveal her location if she did, but she wants her granddaughter to have a name and, maybe, a place to come home to.
Nettie's revelation has serious consequences. Because she had withheld the information, she is asked to leave the nursery and not return. Martha feels betrayed, but at the same time realizes that "Faith" or Maria Christina, as Nettie has named her, was never hers; she understands that she looked upon Faith/Maria as some sort of magic cure for her own grief over the loss of her son.
Nettie is literally on her way out of the nursery for the last time when Maria codes again, and this time there's nothing anyone can do to save her. And so the grandmothers are left to come to terms with their loss, and to help each other. And LaRone, too; Daquille is strong enough to be discharged, and LaRone, with the help of her own father, is taking him home to raise. And now she can count on her newfound mentors, Nettie Lee and Martha, to help her.
The pacing was a bit slow, and some of the old stories shared by Martha and Nettie seemed a bit like padding, but it was an absorbing read. The characters were well-drawn and complex, and while they didn't always make good decisions, they usually believed they were doing the right thing.
The only thing that really bothered me was Nettie's continued loyalty to Yolanda. She was already raising Yolanda's son, and knew of Yolanda's drug use and irresponsibility and Byron's criminal activities; she was deeply disappointed and angered with Yolanda, yet kept on protecting her; did it not occur to her that Yolanda being arrested might be the only way she would ever get off crack? Did she ever consider that if she kept on that path, there might be more Marias abandoned in the future?
There is no resolution regarding Yolanda's fate, or if Nettie ever hears from her again.
But it was a great story nonetheless.
Nettie Lee Johnson has worked most of her life at the tire plant in Dayton, Ohio. At forty she unexpectedly found herself a single mother, and had high hopes for her daughter Yolanda. Unfortunately, Yolanda has been a source of disappointment and heartache to her mother. Despite being raised by a hard-working, fairly strict and very practical mother, Yolanda grows into an irresponsible, spoiled and self-centered teenager. At fifteen she becomes pregnant by her fourteen-year-old boyfriend, a slick-talking but not particularly bright wannabe thug named Byron, usually called Barn. After the birth of her son, called Little Barn, Yolanda becomes bored with motherhood and eventually gets hooked on crack, leaving Nettie to raise Little Barn.
Martha is a just-retired librarian about Nettie's age, a divorcee for many years and mourning the crib death of her only son Paul long ago. She is looking to fill her lonely days with something meaningful, and the volunteer grandmother job at the hospital seems the perfect fit for her.
The nursery is filled with tiny, fragile newborns with various problems, many relating to their mothers' drug use. One baby in particular has an especially sad backstory: Baby X was born two months early, addicted to crack and with a life-threatening heart condition. Her mother abandoned her on a cold winter night in a Port-a-Potti on a construction site, and nobody knows who she is.
Nobody except Nettie, that is. Nettie knows that Baby X's mother is Yolanda, and she is determined to take care of the baby somehow; but she is afraid to tell anyone what she knows for fear Yolanda will be prosecuted. Rocking Baby X in the nursery seems to be the best she'll be able to manage for the time being.
Nettie and Martha take an immediate dislike to each other. Nettie is blunt and outspoken, and has worked a factory job all her life and has never had much money. Martha is well-educated and well-off and tends to be a bit snobbish and prissy, at least in Nettie's estimation.
Martha too has a fixation on Baby X, whom she has privately named Faith; she wants to become a licensed foster mother with an eye toward adopting Faith when she is released from the hospital. Nettie is made aware of Martha's plan and is openly hostile toward her, which Martha cannot understand.
Nettie and Martha spend long days in the busy nursery, holding the babies and occasionally asissting the nurses with basic procedures. They meet many of the babies' parents, including LaRone Cruz, whose son Daquille was born with cocaine in his system. LaRone comes to the nursery often to spend time with her son, and she's usually accompanied by her friend Shavonne, who is herself very pregnant. At first LaRone is sullen and defensive; she knows the harm her actions have caused her son and she resents the judgment she feels from others.
Gradually the four women begin to share their stories and to respect each other. Nettie sees that Martha has been lonely all her life, despite her apparent privilege; she lost her beloved brother when he was shot as a teenager by a white neighbor who mistook him for an intruder. Her baby son died in her arms, and her husband eventually left her.
LaRone begins to see that while she has made bad choices, she is lucky enough to be able to turn things around for herself and Daquille, and the more she realizes this, the more willing she is to reach out to others for help.
But there's still the issue of Baby X. Her health is not improving, and the doctors and nurses are not optimistic about her chances for survival. A rather pushy and overeager social worker seems to have made it her mission to find and punish the baby's mother, and while she is supportive of Martha's desire to become a foster mother, she informs her that her chances of being able to adopt Faith are not good.
As Baby X's health continues to fail, Nettie makes the difficult decision to come clean about her relationship to the baby. She doesn't know where Yolanda is, and wouldn't reveal her location if she did, but she wants her granddaughter to have a name and, maybe, a place to come home to.
Nettie's revelation has serious consequences. Because she had withheld the information, she is asked to leave the nursery and not return. Martha feels betrayed, but at the same time realizes that "Faith" or Maria Christina, as Nettie has named her, was never hers; she understands that she looked upon Faith/Maria as some sort of magic cure for her own grief over the loss of her son.
Nettie is literally on her way out of the nursery for the last time when Maria codes again, and this time there's nothing anyone can do to save her. And so the grandmothers are left to come to terms with their loss, and to help each other. And LaRone, too; Daquille is strong enough to be discharged, and LaRone, with the help of her own father, is taking him home to raise. And now she can count on her newfound mentors, Nettie Lee and Martha, to help her.
The pacing was a bit slow, and some of the old stories shared by Martha and Nettie seemed a bit like padding, but it was an absorbing read. The characters were well-drawn and complex, and while they didn't always make good decisions, they usually believed they were doing the right thing.
The only thing that really bothered me was Nettie's continued loyalty to Yolanda. She was already raising Yolanda's son, and knew of Yolanda's drug use and irresponsibility and Byron's criminal activities; she was deeply disappointed and angered with Yolanda, yet kept on protecting her; did it not occur to her that Yolanda being arrested might be the only way she would ever get off crack? Did she ever consider that if she kept on that path, there might be more Marias abandoned in the future?
There is no resolution regarding Yolanda's fate, or if Nettie ever hears from her again.
But it was a great story nonetheless.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2023
These women really stole my heart, despite all their rough edges. The ending scene with the two grandmothers together brought me to the brink of tears, not of joy or sorrow but of appreciation for how life struggles on, generation after generation.
It's a story with people making many bad decisions, but it only judges the people who rush to quick judgment.
It's a story with people making many bad decisions, but it only judges the people who rush to quick judgment.
October 23, 2022
I volunteered in a shelter for women who were homeless in DC, and now work with Native American kids in Montana, many of whom have parents who are addicted to alcohol and drugs. Many of their home lives are chaotic and impoverished in every way imaginable. Ms. Raymond's stories and characters are very familiar to me. Why? Why this pull of drugs? The only thing I can imagine is that poverty (of so many things, education, housing, good food, healthy environment, hope for a good life) is so strong, that what is thought of a quick, easy escape from it all ends up being a long-term "fix." I imagine everything feels so fucked up, one little thing can't be fixed because it requires this other thing to be fixed, but before that thing can get better, this thing needs to be done.
The main characters in this book are thought provoking and moving. Neither are living the lives they imagined. Both mystified at how they got here. Both carry on as best they can, despite their grief.
The main characters in this book are thought provoking and moving. Neither are living the lives they imagined. Both mystified at how they got here. Both carry on as best they can, despite their grief.
November 13, 2017
This novel tells some of the stories of two women who volunteer at the local hospital as "Grandmothers" who rock premature babies. Mid-way through the novel, they are joined by two young women, one of whom has a child in the premie ward, who sometimes listen and sometimes tell their own stories, which are different in time and detail, but the same in substance. Being poor and female is just hard.
And the stories ring true. None of them are neatly tied up with a happy or satisfying ending; all are told through the lens of their own challenges, limitations, and wisdom. These are real women living real lives, and their stories provide much to think about.
And the stories ring true. None of them are neatly tied up with a happy or satisfying ending; all are told through the lens of their own challenges, limitations, and wisdom. These are real women living real lives, and their stories provide much to think about.
June 21, 2023
A 3.5. I liked this book a lot, though not as a novel, really. Except for the final chapter, I found the narrative thread to be thin -- not really enough to sustain a novel.
But the stories told by the women -- Nettie Lee and Martha, and ultimately LaRone as well -- were powerful. Like testaments to the many lives of African-American women, they were all the stronger because they were not required to move a plot along, but were able, instead, to dwell on the dailyness of their lives, to be reflective and reactive in a way that a "plot" would have diluted. I loved these stories.
And I did love the final chapter as well.
But the stories told by the women -- Nettie Lee and Martha, and ultimately LaRone as well -- were powerful. Like testaments to the many lives of African-American women, they were all the stronger because they were not required to move a plot along, but were able, instead, to dwell on the dailyness of their lives, to be reflective and reactive in a way that a "plot" would have diluted. I loved these stories.
And I did love the final chapter as well.
June 11, 2017
A quick read. Two grandmas volunteering in ICU rocking babies. Their stories unfold as do their own personal reasons for being there. Lots of stories- sort of boring to me in the middle. I always wonder about how moms can leave their child in a dumpster, etc.. This is a real peek inside what happens.
October 21, 2018
I give this 3-1/2 stars. It’s a moving, thought-provoking story.
October 28, 2018
Beautifully written - stories of the lives of these women brought together in the ICU that has premie babies exposed to drugs in womb. Touching how well they grow to support each other.
August 20, 2022
I enjoyed the writing so much. There were a couple of loose ends I would have liked tied up. I would definitely read anything else the author writes.
December 17, 2024
Great book. Great characters who tell wonderful stories. Highly recommend.
March 26, 2025
Found the story line went slow but finally began to be interesting. Not a difficult read but still lacked the information that could have added to the storyline.
March 22, 2013
Two "voluntary" grandmothers work together in an neo-natal intensive care unit to provide care for "babies exposed to drugs" otherwise known as "crack babies". The story brings up a few key issues. Should the parents (mostly the mothers) be punished for addicting their child in womb which would be a form of abuse or should the parents be offered treatment so they could take care of their children properly? Should the parents be forced to give up their children?
"Could you have a baby and then figure things was so bad you had to leave her? That she would be better off without you?" Nettie Lee asked
"Could you give birth to a child, then dump her?" Martha asked
"I don't know what I might do if the conditions were wrong" Nettie Lee said "I can only do the best I can under the circumstances I got."
The book gives a sympathetic look at the babies as the innocent victims and gives personal stories as to why some people abandon their children. "I guess the truth ain't always pretty" Nettie Lee said "Everybody's got something in their life causing pain."
"Could you have a baby and then figure things was so bad you had to leave her? That she would be better off without you?" Nettie Lee asked
"Could you give birth to a child, then dump her?" Martha asked
"I don't know what I might do if the conditions were wrong" Nettie Lee said "I can only do the best I can under the circumstances I got."
The book gives a sympathetic look at the babies as the innocent victims and gives personal stories as to why some people abandon their children. "I guess the truth ain't always pretty" Nettie Lee said "Everybody's got something in their life causing pain."
November 24, 2014
I picked this up because I've been curious about volunteering to rock babies at the hospital. I learned from this novel what's involved in rocking babies in a neonatal intensive care unit. For context, the author Linda Raymond gives us a scenario that provides a pinch of suspense, along with two "grandmas" who rock the babies, one of the babies' moms, and her pregnant friend. During the novel each person has the opportunity to share their story. Despite the obvious flaw that each person speaks in their own voice but with the vocabulary and styling of the novelist, I found myself caring about each character and her plight. I give this a 4 for charming characters in difficult situations, what appears to be accuracy in medical details, and insight into a world unknown to me, but only a 2.5 for the writing.
Recommended for those interested in contemporary older African-American women's stories ... Especially if you have patience with slow pacing.
Recommended for those interested in contemporary older African-American women's stories ... Especially if you have patience with slow pacing.
February 5, 2008
I actually really liked this novel, "Rocking the Babies" because the whole story is a story inside a novel, which always interests me.
"Rocking the Babies" is a story about two "grandmothers" who act as care givers and, well, grandmothers for premature born babies, usually subjected to drugs. One of the grandmothers takes the job because it will lead her to her grandchild, who was left by her daughter in a portable toilet. The other grandmother is there because after the death of her own baby, some 30 years ago, she longs to be around infants. Both grandmothers immediately fall in love with Baby Doe, the one left in the portable toilet, and the one that belongs to one of the grandmothers.
"Rocking the Babies" is a wonderful and quick (I read it in a day) read that just tells stories of past discrimination, past stories, and present stories.
"Rocking the Babies" is a story about two "grandmothers" who act as care givers and, well, grandmothers for premature born babies, usually subjected to drugs. One of the grandmothers takes the job because it will lead her to her grandchild, who was left by her daughter in a portable toilet. The other grandmother is there because after the death of her own baby, some 30 years ago, she longs to be around infants. Both grandmothers immediately fall in love with Baby Doe, the one left in the portable toilet, and the one that belongs to one of the grandmothers.
"Rocking the Babies" is a wonderful and quick (I read it in a day) read that just tells stories of past discrimination, past stories, and present stories.
November 25, 2020
I didn't love this, but I definitely liked it. I believe God can create blessings out of even the most unfortunate circumstances, and the main characters in this book discovered and affirmed that. It wasn't a "religious" novel, but I tend to examine everything through that filter. Another truth on display that added to the novel's draw is that life brings difficult, painful episodes to everyone, and that heartbreak is a universal experience. We need to be cautious about judging anyone too quickly. It wasn't a deep or singular story, but it was authentic and moving - a worthwhile and engaging read.
September 30, 2011
I have decided that I love this book. This was not a cut and dried decision because the tone of the book is oppressive, and so are a lot of the stories. This is a woman's book about an old African American woman who volunteers to rock abandoned babies in the ICU to be close to her granddaughter who was abandoned in a portapotty. As the grandmother wrestles with this secret and with the duties and poverty of her life, a community grows. This community of women tells each other their stories and through the telling knows and learns from each other.
September 17, 2012
Two black volunteer "grandmothers" work comforting babies at a Dayton hospital in the wake of a scandal where a newborn had been dumped in a port-o-potty. One of the "grandmothers" is biologically the baby's grandmother but is afraid to let anyone know this because the baby's mother would be prosecuted. The other "grandmother" wants to become certified as a foster parent to bring the baby home. Both share their stories (and this was the part that seemed clunky and implausible) and learn to understand each other's perspectives a little more.
November 20, 2009
Linda Raymond offers an inside look at teenage pregnancy, however unlike other books on this topic, the story follows the grandmother of the infant, rather than the mother. During the short time Nettie Lee spend with her granddaughter she reflects on her own journey as a daughter, mother and now grandmother. This heartwarming yet considerably sad book tells an often stereotyped story with an emphasis on love an family values.
March 30, 2008
I enjoyed this book, but the way the ladies sit and tell stories just seemed a little too unrealistic to me. One minute they are having a cat fight and the next they are telling their very personal life stories to each other, and they tell the entire story without anyone interrupting or asking a single question. It made it unbelievable for me.
April 27, 2007
this was a sweet story of two "grandmas" in the ICU as they share their love and lives with each other and the babies they care for. I enjoyed this book and read it very quickly. There was nice histroy to the book as well.
November 3, 2007
Good, but not very good.
May 7, 2009
Language again. Didn't finish the book.
December 10, 2009
I liked this one.
April 22, 2010
excellent
September 24, 2012
A surprising contrast of societal and cultural influences. I wasn't sure the story was totally believable, but a touching story.
January 26, 2013
Interesting book, very thought provoking. Not a happy or unhappy ending, but a realistic one. Found it unusual that the author didn't sugar coat the language, nor the story.
March 26, 2013
This novel makes me get teary eyed EVERY time I read it ... but it is still one of my favorites.
May 30, 2016
What a beautiful story enhanced with wonderful writing technique.
October 27, 2015
What pushed this into 4 stars was the way I felt that I knew the women in the book. I especially like how the concept of women telling their stories helps other women.
May 1, 2016
Everyone should read this book, it has mystery, love and tragedy. It goes to the heart of family love.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews