Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

I really couldn't put this book down, it was so incredible to read about the mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr, Malcom X and James Baldwin. It's a heart-breaking and shattering read, focusing on some really important topics including the erasure of black women within society and the world overall. However, this book is also full of hope and inspiration, often exuded by the mother's themselves in the face of adversity and devastating experiences, the strength, tenacity and resilience Louise, Berdis and Alberta showed was really moving to read.

At times it's a very difficult and upsetting, particularly when reading about the unimaginable and horrible ways black women have been treated in the past without any concern or regard for them as people within their own right. Although it is really uncomfortable its definitely something that everyone needs to hear, it's not something I was educated on which just further proves the fact that black women's identities and lives were erased and disregarded and still continue to be. It's honestly so harrowing to read about but so important.

The unwavering love, hope and compassion with which each of the three women exhibited and instilled into their children in the face of so much unrelenting trauma, prejudices and difficulties is really astounding and profound. It's clear how much love fuelled Alberta, Berdis and Louise, their resilience and drive to keep pouring out their love, compassion and hope to those they held dear and those within their community, even when facing the tragic losses of their own sons, is truly something to behold.

Reading about these three powerful women was honestly so eye opening, thought provoking and inspiring. Anna is an incredibly emotive, empowering and passionate writer, and it was a real pleasure to have been able to read this amazing testament to three kind, compassionate and resilient women lost in history, who deserved to have their voices heard.

I loved this book so much that I now have my own copy! Three Mothers looks at the maternal figures in the lives of three of the most famous and important figures of the civil rights movements and puts into sharp focus the extent their impact had on the sons that they raised. Honestly, I do not know why these women do not get more credit because holy hell, so much they did went onto change the world.

This book really exceeded my expectations. Whilst we are all familiar with the story of the three sons, Malcom X, Martin Luther King Jr and James Baldwin, we may be less familiar with the stories of their mothers. This was an exploration of three black women who not only lived through pivotal moments in the civil rights movement, but were influential in it. The book highlights how black women (especially mothers) are marginalised and overlooked. These were three black women, Alberta King, Berdis Baldwin and Louise Little, with different upbringings which shaped how they brought up their sons, all of whom played an important role in history, only made possible but the determination and tenacity of their mothers. I just adored hearing about these amazing women and thank Anna Malaika Tubbs for giving them all a voice.

Three Mothers was a really interesting read. I normally don't read non-fiction very often, but I was intrigued by the premise and the book didn't disappoint.

Three Mothers follows the three mothers of James Baldwin, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. As a black women I was yet again reminded of the struggle, but also to finally see three figures often neglected in the media. To see how influential they've been in the lives of their sons, but also what they've accomplished in their own right and what kind of things they had to face in order to even get to raise their sons.

The fact that these problems are still being faced today by black mothers in varying ways and I think that this is a really important read. I sometimes did lose track of who Anna Malaika Tubbs was talking about in which paragraph. I also got upset multiple times, of course. At one point I was just raging in the kitchen and ranting to my housemates. However I really got a lot out of it, even though I don't even know if I ever want to have kids at this point. Since it highlights a lot of problems, but also a lot insight in the ways in which these women have carried, not only themselves but also their family and the people around them.

This is a review of an arc from NetGalley.

Three Mothers by Anna Maliaka Tubbs is about the women who raised a generation of Civil Rights icons.

'Three Mothers' is a powerful and important study of three overlooked women - Alberta King, Berdis Baldwin and Louise Little, the mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., James Baldwin and Malcom X. This beautifully written group biography works well on several levels: it tells the stories of these three women's lives and the struggles they faced; it offers new insights into the lives of their sons and how these were shaped by their mothers' courage and strength; it captures most of the key events which shaped twentieth-century American race relations; and it challenges the ways in which Black women, and particularly Black mothers, continue to be marginalised today.

Anna Malaika Tubbs is unashamedly polemic in her approach, and it is her personal investment in these stories and her identification with them as a fellow Black mother which makes this such a moving read. There is a lot of scholarship behind this book, made more challenging by how much of these three mothers' lives has been left undocumented, but it is very readable and compelling. I particularly enjoyed the way in which Anna Malaika Tubbs constantly drew comparisons and contrasts between the three women at different stages in their lives.

Overall, this is an excellent book which is well worth reading for anyone who is interested in knowing more about the long and ongoing battle for racial equality in America and around the world. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an online review copy of this book.

This powerful book is a lesson to us all and one that should be on syllabuses. Anna Malaika Tubbs teaches us about the brilliant and inspiring mothers of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin. Three formidable and strong women that history has overlooked and who are so often ignored, and yet they were pivotal in shaping history.
This book starts the conversation that needs to be had, of writing mothers, and specifically black mothers, back into history. Giving voice to their stories, strength and perseverance.

Sensitively written and thoroughly researched, this book is informative but doesn’t put the reader off by being overly fact dominated. Tubbs creates an intelligent and engaging narrative that draws us in and leaves us wanting to know more. Not only that it encourages us to celebrate and raise awareness of these mothers, and black mothers everywhere.

This was very interesting. I found it a bit too educational at times which would typically be a positive thing. I’m rating a three but think I just read it at the wrong time.

Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X and James Baldwin are all people we learn about due to their vital work towards civil rights in the USA. They weren’t created in a vacuum however, and this book aims to give a wider context to their work and Black life in America by following the lives of their mothers.

In this heartbreaking ode to Black motherhood we see each woman be born into different circumstances, have their sons, lose them too young and then use their grief for good. The author explores stereotypes of Black mothers, the extra challenges they face and how their life experiences and lessons shaped the three activists we know so well.

I learnt a lot from this book and it had me in tears multiple times. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in Civil Rights, Feminism and motherhood.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An eye opening book about these three women ,mothers of these iconic men.These women have very little known about them they lived quietly in the shadow of their sons.The three mothers and their sons have a special connection.This is a truly interesting read that shows us a side of these men their beginnings that explains much about them.#netgalley #4thestate

Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC!

This is a really touching and important book about the lives of three black women who have largely been ignored. Instead of adding more thoughts over here, I'm just going to leave a quote from the book.

"In James, Malcolm, and Martin we witness the direct connection between their heroic work and their mothers. They carried their mothers with them in everything they did. Contrary to previous tellings, these men were not individuals who were born ready to change the world; they are instead part of a larger whole, part of a generational bank of knowledge that was passed on to them. They were products of what their families and environments taught them, and very specifically what their mothers taught them through both their words and their actions. All three men were well aware of this. They saw their mothers as their primary guides even when they were away from them and even, in Malcolm's case, when they were separated from them at a young age. These men gave credit to their mothers and had a deep understanding that they could not be who they were without the Lessons they inherited."