The Girls Who Grew Big: A Novel
From the author of Oprah's Book Club pick and New York Times bestseller Nightcrawling, here is an astonishing new novel about the joys and entanglements of a fierce group of teenage mothers in a small town on the Florida panhandle.
“Blistering, wise, empathetic. . . . Mottley writes with unabashed reverence for these young mothers. . . valuing them on the page in all the ways they are not valued in their lives.” —New York Times Book Review
Adela Woods is sixteen years old and pregnant. Her parents banish her from her comfortable upbringing in Indiana to her grandmother’s home in the small town of Padua Beach, Florida. When she arrives, Adela meets Emory, who brings her newborn to high school, determined to graduate despite the odds; Simone, mother of four-year-old twins, who weighs her options when she finds herself pregnant again; and the rest of the Girls, a group of outcast young moms who raise their growing brood in the back of Simone’s red truck.
The town thinks the Girls have lost their way, but really they are finding it: looking for love, making and breaking friendships, and navigating the miracle of motherhood and the paradox of girlhood.
Full of heart and life and hope, set against the shifting sands of these friends’ secrets and betrayals, The Girls Who Grew Big confirms Leila Mottley’s promise and offers an explosive new perspective on what it means to be a young woman.
“Blistering, wise, empathetic. . . . Mottley writes with unabashed reverence for these young mothers. . . valuing them on the page in all the ways they are not valued in their lives.” —New York Times Book Review
Adela Woods is sixteen years old and pregnant. Her parents banish her from her comfortable upbringing in Indiana to her grandmother’s home in the small town of Padua Beach, Florida. When she arrives, Adela meets Emory, who brings her newborn to high school, determined to graduate despite the odds; Simone, mother of four-year-old twins, who weighs her options when she finds herself pregnant again; and the rest of the Girls, a group of outcast young moms who raise their growing brood in the back of Simone’s red truck.
The town thinks the Girls have lost their way, but really they are finding it: looking for love, making and breaking friendships, and navigating the miracle of motherhood and the paradox of girlhood.
Full of heart and life and hope, set against the shifting sands of these friends’ secrets and betrayals, The Girls Who Grew Big confirms Leila Mottley’s promise and offers an explosive new perspective on what it means to be a young woman.
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Community Reviews
Loved this book! I felt like this was a raw perspective of the hardships that some young mothers face, but the way they prioritize their children was relatable for a mother of any age. Another top pic of the year.
I couldn't put this book down, finished in one day. Very interesting story about friendships, trust, lies, the need for acceptance and finding your way. All of the FMC's stressed me out in different ways. This book gave me a bunch of kids making grown decisions and trying to live and navigate through them with or without the support of their family's. And I'm just going to say the unsaid, Chris (tooth) is a predator. Teenage girls like the idea of an older guy until you take a step back and realize what they really are. Would have liked to read an epilogue providing how the girls new direction & decisions were going.
“How could you imagine that I could be something different than the way you always saw me?”
“We’ll find Girls like us wherever we go”
I enjoyed this book so much, I couldn’t put it down!! Leila Mottley’s writing is amazing. Switching between the perspectives and personalities of the Girls is so seamless. HIGHLY recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“We’ll find Girls like us wherever we go”
I enjoyed this book so much, I couldn’t put it down!! Leila Mottley’s writing is amazing. Switching between the perspectives and personalities of the Girls is so seamless. HIGHLY recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really loved The Girls That Grew Big. It felt raw, vulnerable, and deeply beautiful—like the author trusted the reader with something personal. The emotions felt real, the characters imperfect, and it read like an unfiltered look into South Florida, grounding the story in a way that felt honest .
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