(ThyBlackMan.com) Where we come from, and who, has a profound impact on what we want. Sometimes the past has the power to control how we move through life, and the price we are willing to pay for said movement. Often times the want is solidified by prayer and a hope that God will open every door, but the truth is we intend to have that door broken down by means of the good book, hook, or crook. The lies we weave become the webs we get entangled in that can send us to depths unimaginable, while brutally stripping away from us all we hold dear. This rollercoaster of emotion can be felt in every word and page of Mary Monroe’s latest novel: Mrs. Wiggins.
The story takes place in the Deep South during the years of the Depression. It will give the reader plenty to think about in terms of the choices women have…and how that more limited that can be for a black woman. Many questions can be raised about the price children often pay, in a society that is cruel and judgmental, for the sins and life of their parents. Decisions back then were rather difficult, and the judgment, or shunning, of one’s community was truly a punishment would follow a family. This punishment often took relocation to escape.
The reader will see many themes that are pressing issues of the day still, and they can begin to wonder how they would navigate through the various challenges that arise throughout the book. Mary Monroe has written a page turner that allows truth and reality to spill as fast and hot as “the tea”. The end to this tale was shocking, and it leaves the reader wishing there were four or five more chapters. You’ll want to know what happens immediately after the last line…the mark of a great story. The reader can only hope there is a sequel, or novella even that gives us more.
Lastly, this is a book that includes a Discussion Questions section that would be great for book clubs, or community discussions around the themes presented in the book. This is very important because the topics surrounding marriage, why we marry, past influence on current decision making, generational curses, and truth regarding self being hidden within a marriage for the sake of appearance are just some of the topics this book can help flush out. The beauty of the narrative is it allows us to see so many different issues and view them outside of self.
This book captured that purpose beautifully. Though it is set in a specific time period, many are grappling with the themes of the book today. Mrs. Wiggins can be read for entertainment, but there is still so much left for the reader to ponder upon. Consider cozying up with this book that will take to many different emotional places, then have a chat about it.
You can pick up New York Times Best Selling Author Mary Monroe’s Mrs. Wiggin on Amazon.com, Barnes and Nobles, Books A Million, or anywhere books are sold. You can also read more about Mary Monroe, and check out other titles, at www.marymonroe.org.
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
May connect with this sister over at Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/christian.pierre.9809 and also Twitter; http://twitter.com/MrzZeta.
