Sarai Johnson in conversation with Morgan Menzies for Grown Women

A stunning novel about four generations of complex Black women contend with motherhood and daughterhood.  A story of generational trauma and the deeply ingrained tensions and wounds that divide them as they redefine happiness and healing for themselves.  Charlotte, Corinna, Camille, and Evelyn are four bold characters who Johnson’s beautiful prose brings to life. Readers will cheer their successes and commiserate with their failures.

Erudite Evelyn, her cynical daughter Charlotte, and Charlotte’s optimistic daughter Corinna see the world very differently. Though they love each other deeply, it’s no wonder that their personalities often clash. But their conflicts go deeper than run-of-the-mill disagreements. Here, there is deep, dark resentment for past and present hurt.

When Corinna gives birth to her own daughter, Camille, the beautiful, intelligent little girl offers this trio of mothers something they all need: hope, joy, and an opportunity to reconcile. They decide to work together to raise their collective daughter with the tenderness and empathy they missed in their own relationships. Yet despite their best intentions, they cannot agree on what that means.

After Camille eventually leaves her mother and grandmother in rural Tennessee for a more cosmopolitan life in Washington, DC with her great-grandmother, it’s unclear whether this complex and self-contained girl will thrive or be overwhelmed by the fears and dreams of three generations she carries. As she grows into a gutsy young woman, Camille must decide for herself what happiness will look like.

You can order Grown Women on Bookshop.org.

SARAI JOHNSON grew up in the South, primarily in Nashville, Tennessee. She studied journalism and English at Howard University, and later earned a Master’s in Literature from American University. She has taught writing at both her alma maters and with several nonprofit writing programs in the DC area. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her husband, daughter, and dog.

Morgan Menzies is the creator of Pretty Little Bookshelf, a social media platform and book club focused on amplifying books by and about individuals of color. She is an avid reader and community builder engaging bibliophiles in person and online through initiatives like the Black Resilience Booksta Tour, Reading Black Beyond February, and the Black Books Matter Book Swap. Morgan is a New Jersey native but you can find her wandering independent bookstores across DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

This is an in-person event. Seated capacity at People’s Book is 50 patrons. Standing room is an option. All events are first-come, first-served seating. Accessible seating is always available.