Staff Pick
The women and girls at the broken heart of this gripping debut are indeed ravenously hungry, but not for food. Each is seeking something they can't name to fill the yawning vacancies inside them — too often they settle for poor substitutes. After a difficult upbringing, sisters Althea, Viola, and Lillian have managed to grow into fairly successful adults. But everything they thought they knew is called into question when Althea is arrested for a crime they could have never imagined. Through this unforgettable family, Gray explores the indelible legacy of pain and the way trauma can be passed down through generations. A graceful story of a very public fall from grace, The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls is an epic in miniature! Recommended By Lauren P., Powells.com
The struggles of Anissa Gray's characters in her debut novel, The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls, are recognizable to readers who navigate their own past mistakes and tenuous relationships with family. Gray hits close to home with her exploration of the American justice system, the immediacy and penetrating gaze of media, and the rapacious appetites which can ensnare and define us. Fast-paced and engaging, Gray's story of an American family will resonate with modern-day readers. Recommended By Alex Y., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
The Mothers meets An American Marriage in this dazzling debut novel about mothers and daughters, identity and family, and how the relationships that sustain you can also be the ones that consume you. The Butler family has had their share of trials--as sisters Althea, Viola, and Lillian can attest--but nothing prepared them for the literal trial that will upend their lives.
Althea, the eldest sister and substitute matriarch, is a force to be reckoned with and her younger sisters have alternately appreciated and chafed at her strong will. They are as stunned as the rest of the small community when she and her husband Proctor are arrested, and in a heartbeat the family goes from one of the most respected in town to utter disgrace. The worst part is, not even her sisters are sure exactly what happened.
As Althea awaits her fate, Lillian and Viola must come together in the house they grew up in to care for their sister's teenage daughters. What unfolds is a stunning portrait of the heart and core of an American family in a story that is as page-turning as it is important.
Synopsis
"If you enjoyed An American Marriage by Tayari Jones, read The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls...an absorbing commentary on love, family and forgiveness."--The Washington Post One of the most anticipated reads of 2019 from Vogue, Vanity Fair, Washington Post, Buzzfeed, Essence, Bustle, HelloGiggles and Cosmo "The Mothers meets An American Marriage" (HelloGiggles) in this dazzling debut novel about mothers and daughters, identity and family, and how the relationships that sustain you can also be the ones that consume you.
The Butler family has had their share of trials--as sisters Althea, Viola, and Lillian can attest--but nothing prepared them for the literal trial that will upend their lives.
Althea, the eldest sister and substitute matriarch, is a force to be reckoned with and her younger sisters have alternately appreciated and chafed at her strong will. They are as stunned as the rest of the small community when she and her husband, Proctor, are arrested, and in a heartbeat the family goes from one of the most respected in town to utter disgrace. The worst part is, not even her sisters are sure exactly what happened.
As Althea awaits her fate, Lillian and Viola must come together in the house they grew up in to care for their sister's teenage daughters. What unfolds is a stunning portrait of the heart and core of an American family in a story that is as page-turning as it is important.