A Note from ReShonda
As a journalist, I have come across an array of stories in my twenty-five-plus years in the industry. Some of them have provided fodder for just plain ol' good drama. Many of them-no, most of them-have sparked that little "What if?" light bulb in my head. This book was born from one of those "What ifs?"
I'm always posing questions to my readers on social media as I travel: What if you won the lottery and your ex-husband came back and said your divorce was never finalized and he and the woman he left you for want half? (The Devil Is a Lie); What if you have a one-night stand with your best friend's husband and he dies in the hotel room? (What's Done in the Dark); What if your son commits a crime, can you turn him in? I'd like to think that as a law-abiding citizen, that answer would be a resounding yes. But as a mother, that answer isn't so black and white, especially if you throw in something that has been dominating the news: race and law enforcement. I don't know about you, but for me, that changes the dynamics. And that's where Mama's Boy was born.
I hope you will enjoy the story, even if you don't agree with all the characters' decisions (hey, what kind of writer would I be if you liked everything?).
ReShonda
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Gallery Book (Simon & Schuster)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1476714959
ISBN-13: 978-1476714950
About the book
When her son is in trouble, a heartbroken mother finds the courage and faith to save him, in ReShonda Tate Billingsley’s powerful family drama—a novel as timely as today’s headlines.
The breaking TV news rocks Jasper, Texas, to the core: a white police officer is fatally shot in a scuffle with three black youths—and a cellphone video captures Jamal Jones, the sixteen-year-old son of esteemed Reverend Elton Jones, escalating the tragic encounter. Now, as the national spotlight shines on a town already rife with racial tension, Jamal is a murder suspect on the run. And all of Jasper—even the Reverend’s congregation—rushes to judge the boy they thought they knew.
But Gloria Jones knows her son best, and she races to find Jamal before the law does—to the outrage of her workaholic husband. Once she finds him, she has to decide whether to turn him in or help him run. With ruthless prosecutor and Houston mayoral candidate Kay Christensen hungering to put another young thug behind bars, Gloria will face her biggest battle yet. And when long-hidden secrets and shocking lies come to light, throwing Jamal’s case and his destiny into a tailspin, all Gloria can do is pray that the truth—and a mother’s unconditional love—will be enough to redeem the mistakes of the past and ultimately, save her son.
The breaking TV news rocks Jasper, Texas, to the core: a white police officer is fatally shot in a scuffle with three black youths—and a cellphone video captures Jamal Jones, the sixteen-year-old son of esteemed Reverend Elton Jones, escalating the tragic encounter. Now, as the national spotlight shines on a town already rife with racial tension, Jamal is a murder suspect on the run. And all of Jasper—even the Reverend’s congregation—rushes to judge the boy they thought they knew.
But Gloria Jones knows her son best, and she races to find Jamal before the law does—to the outrage of her workaholic husband. Once she finds him, she has to decide whether to turn him in or help him run. With ruthless prosecutor and Houston mayoral candidate Kay Christensen hungering to put another young thug behind bars, Gloria will face her biggest battle yet. And when long-hidden secrets and shocking lies come to light, throwing Jamal’s case and his destiny into a tailspin, all Gloria can do is pray that the truth—and a mother’s unconditional love—will be enough to redeem the mistakes of the past and ultimately, save her son.
If this isn't enough to peek your interest, you can read the first chapter by visiting www.reshondatatebillingsley.com.
Mama's Boy get's five stars and a fist pump.
