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
 
 

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.

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 a author who is intimately acquainted with how Black women have passed down knowledge and culture. Sasha Bonét 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 Bonét as a voice we all now need to hear.

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