Overview

A sweeping narrative of the unique beauty and trials of Black matriarchy in America that weaves a sharp, tender examination of three single Black mothers-the author's grandmother, mother, and the author herself-with stories of influential Black women in our culture ""Bonet tells the whole history of this country through the relationships of and between Black mothers and daughters.""-Imani Perry, National Book Award-winning author of South to America ""Bonet dances on our hearts in this classic creation of will and wit. Electrifying... Wow.""-Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy- An American Memoir A sweeping narrative of the unique beauty and trials of Black matriarchy in America that weaves a sharp, tender examination of three single Black mothers-the author's grandmother, mother, and the author herself-with stories of influential Black women in our culture ""Bonet tells the whole history of this country through the relationships of and between Black mothers and daughters.""-Imani Perry, National Book Award-winning author of South to America ""Bonet dances on our hearts in this classic creation of will and wit. Electrifying... Wow.""-Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy- An American Memoir Betty Jean, the author's grandmother, had a house along a bayou in Texas, a home paid for and run without a man by her side. This home served as the center of Bonet's family's universe, the one place that was a constant through all of life's changes. Mama Connie, one of Betty Jean's eleven children, vowed that her life would be different. And in many ways it was- she got married, lived in suburbia, and built a life resembling the American dream. But when it came to raising children of her own, she was more like Betty Jean than she cared to admit. But, like her mother before her, Connie's sweat was the founding salt of her own universe. Today, Sasha Bonet navigates all aspects of being a mother-escape, promise, burden, assent, and rebellion-not just for the women in her family who came before her, but for Black women with whom society is acquainted, too- figures like Nina Simone, Betty Davis, and Darnella Frazier, who filmed the murder of George Floyd. Generations of Black women have borne children, borne the burdens of events untold, and borne witness to unspeakable trials. The Waterbearers carries this history, its fierce eloquence capturing a masterpiece of life written by an author who is intimately acquainted with how Black women have passed down knowledge and culture. Sasha Bonet doesn't just present genealogical lineages but illuminates the cultural and societal connections of strong Black women who have built legacies and changed the world, sometimes in the most mundane of moments. The fierce eloquence of this story confirms Sasha Bonet as a voice we all now need to hear.

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9780593536087

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Reviews

""The Waterbearers is one of the most beautiful and truthful books I’ve ever read. Bonét tells the whole history of this country through the relationships of and between Black mothers and daughters. It is as intimate and tender as it is vast and stormy. Unforgettable."" —Imani Perry, National Book Award-winning author of South to America ""Sasha Bonét’s The Waterbearers is a bold new entry in the canon of literature about Black motherhood. With great intention and beauty, Bonét explores what it means to care for others and for oneself in the matrix of race, class and gender that powers American culture. A beautiful counternarrative to the ways motherhood—and Black motherhood specifically—are usually imagined in American literature, this is an intricately constructed sonnet on the inherent contradictions in mothering another person."" —Kaitlyn Greenidge, author of Libertie “Sasha Bonét’s tale is a tale of evolution and hope—a moving forward while looking back at generations of women who have sought something better for themselves, their families, and, ultimately, the worlds that sought to define them. I have been waiting to read this story for a very long time.” —Hilton Als, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of White Girls ""At once propulsive and tender, Sasha Bonét’s The Waterbearers is an epic love song and a remarkable ballad of generations. By the end of this book, I knew I held in my hands a new American classic, and that I would never forget this family, whose story is the story of America, and that the women in these pages had forever deepened my understanding of motherhood, history, homecoming, and the revolutionary potential of love."" —Leslie Jamison, author of The Empathy Exams “The Waterbearers is magnificent in its nimble agility. People are elevated to wonders, if that is still possible, and Sasha Bonét dances on our hearts in this classic creation of will and wit. Electrifying. Wow.” —Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy: An American Memoir “In this piercing and poetic debut memoir, cultural critic Bonét traces three generations of Black women in her family. … Clear-eyed but never cynical, Bonét approaches these cycles of difficulty and disappointment with curiosity, crafting … a beautiful testament to generational resilience and a forceful reckoning with the legacy of American racism.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Cultural critic Bonét makes her book debut with a fervent homage to Black women—grandmothers, mothers, sisters, and cousins—who have instilled an indelible life force in their families. … At times tender, furious, selfish, and sacrificial, these were ‘complicated women,’ whom Bonét portrays with compassion. A fresh contribution to Black history, rooted in the author’s past.” —Kirkus

“Sasha Bonét’s tale is a tale of evolution and hope—a moving forward while looking back at generations of women who have sought something better for themselves, their families, and, ultimately, the worlds that sought to define them. I have been waiting to read this story for a very long time.” —Hilton Als, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of White Girls ""At once propulsive and tender, Sasha Bonét’s The Waterbearers is an epic love song and a remarkable ballad of generations. By the end of this book, I knew I held in my hands a new American classic, and that I would never forget this family, whose story is the story of America, and that the women in these pages had forever deepened my understanding of motherhood, history, homecoming, and the revolutionary potential of love."" —Leslie Jamison, author of The Empathy Exams “The Waterbearers is magnificent in its nimble agility. People are elevated to wonders, if that is still possible, and Sasha Bonét dances on our hearts in this classic creation of will and wit. Electrifying. Wow.” —Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy: An American Memoir

""The Waterbearers is one of the most beautiful and truthful books I’ve ever read. Bonét tells the whole history of this country through the relationships of and between Black mothers and daughters. It is as intimate and tender as it is vast and stormy. Unforgettable.""—Imani Perry, National Book Award-winning author of South to America “Sasha Bonét’s tale is a tale of evolution and hope—a moving forward while looking back at generations of women who have sought something better for themselves, their families, and, ultimately, the worlds that sought to define them. I have been waiting to read this story for a very long time.” —Hilton Als, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of White Girls ""At once propulsive and tender, Sasha Bonét’s The Waterbearers is an epic love song and a remarkable ballad of generations. By the end of this book, I knew I held in my hands a new American classic, and that I would never forget this family, whose story is the story of America, and that the women in these pages had forever deepened my understanding of motherhood, history, homecoming, and the revolutionary potential of love."" —Leslie Jamison, author of The Empathy Exams “The Waterbearers is magnificent in its nimble agility. People are elevated to wonders, if that is still possible, and Sasha Bonét dances on our hearts in this classic creation of will and wit. Electrifying. Wow.” —Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy: An American Memoir

Author Information

SASHA BON T is a writer and cultural critic based in New York City. Her criticism and essays have appeared in The Paris Review, Aperture, New York Magazine, Vogue, and BOMB, among other publications. Bonet is a professor of creative writing for Columbia University and Barnard College.

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