Originally posted on November 11, 2011
In her book Beloved, Toni Morrison explores the concept of maternal love…what it means to a woman, how it changes her, how it shapes her. She delves into the idea that motherhood can be “overwhelming” and consuming.
Now please don’t ever think I would put my writing up there against the likes of Toni Morrison. I worship the woman and know her writing is on a much higher level than mine. However, a few years ago, I decided that I too wanted to explore the idea of motherhood, and I asked myself, “What would a mother do if…?” “What if” questions are the best kind to ask myself before I start writing, because they drive me to write until I find an answer.
That’s where Worst Mother comes in (just released for Kindle this week). Worst Mother explores the life of a mother and the love she has for her children. Randi Miller is a single mom who doesn’t bring a lot of money home. She goes to college, trying to better herself. And the man she cares about is unwilling to commit. So she spends her life living paycheck to paycheck, being the best mother she can, but she imagines she’s the worst mother on the planet.
I must admit that I’m curious to find out what some of my faithful readers think, because Worst Mother is (in my opinion) quite a departure for me compared to my other books. I’m proud of it, but it’s one I picked and picked at for years, and it was time to let it go…kind of like a mother releasing her child in to the world.
If you’ve read the book, please leave a comment and let me know what you thought (good or bad). I don’t know that I have any other books like it in me, but it’s nice to know what faithful readers think. It lets me know how to write for you!
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