In a year of powerful new literary voices, Brit Bennett’s is one of the loudest in terms of importance. Her debut novel, The Mothers, gracefully layers a story of family, love, loss and eventual catharsis through her protagonist, Nadia Turner, whose mother kills herself when she is seventeen. The suicide reverberates through their church’s community, especially as Nadia tumbles into a relationship with the pastor’s son. Their involvement leads to secret upon secret, unfolding like a Greek tragedy with the elderly Mothers of the church as a resonating Chorus to guide us through each act. Profound and beautifully written, The Mothers proves Bennett possesses all the right seeds to sow a stunning career.