Mama

Rating:
Summary: Terry's best
Review: If you love Terry Macmillian's storytelling, but hate her overzealous use of profanity and tiresome plots. I urge you to read Mama. It's beyond the malebashing and oversexed novels of Terry's previous Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Mama actually has something to say. May I also recommend Disappearing Acts. It tells A BELEIVABLE story about both the good and the rotten side of love.
A note to Mrs. MacMillian: please take a break between writing your novels.

Rating:
Summary: Mama was a GREAT book
Review: Mama is a great book to read. Mildred showed how you can still succeed even if you struggled through poverty. She showed a strong black woman. I felt it was a very deep book. It was a same that Mildred had to go through domestic abuse.
The only thing that made Mildred weak was the fact that she was cold and heartless. She didn't have any feelings. She left her kids to fend out in the world alone. She was also two faced. She didn't want to help her kids but expected her kids to help her. I think she selfish. She was lucky she had kids that loved her so much

Rating:
Summary: Mama is a GREAT book!
Review: Mama was a great book. Mildred the main character in the book was a example of a strong black lady. She triumphed over the biggest feats like rape and domestic abuse. The only thing I didn't like in the book is how she was so mean to Fredda her oldest daughter. She treated her wrongly and not helping her. She did that to all her kids. She left them to fend out in the world by themselves. She was supposed to be an adult but instead the kids were more of adults. Mildred was two faced. She didn't help her children but inspected of her children to help her. Overall it is good that Mildred got back her sense to not to be cold and heartless and learn to show her feelings. I think this book was great

Rating:
Summary: The Book That Started It All
Review: Mama was one of the first books I ever read outside of school. I enjoyed this book very much. It was a page turner. While reading the book I felt like I was right there. Everyone of the characters (in the family) reminded me of someone in my family.
Mildred was a hard person but felt she had to do what she thought was best. You want to hate her but you can't. This book will have you up all night and you won't care what time it is, you just want to know what happens next. I recommend this book to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: This book was great. I can feel MAMA
Review: Mama was so real. I have lived the life of Mildred. I am a single mother of four. Believe me, Terry couldn't have written it better. I really loved this book. I couldn't put it down.

Rating:
Summary: MAMA
Review: Mildred was a very strong young black woman. With the mind set of what ever it takes to raise Four smart young ladies, and a descent young man. She was smart enough to get out of a bad situation. This is a story a sassy but povery stricken woman. It also shows the pain we some times inflict on ourselves. When all she was trying to do was rise to the top.

Rating:
Summary: Expeptional Read
Review: My mom referred this novel to me recently because she felt I was old enough to understand some of the more explicit content in the novel. I was immensely pleased that I was given the chance to read it my mom read it several times and absolutely loved it and now I know why. Mildred the main character is a single mother with 5 children (4 daughters Freda,Bootsey,Angel,and Doll) an a son Money and she had a lying abusvie husband Crook (which in my opinion is a an appropriate name for him) considering his actions towards Mildred were appalling the fact that Mildered fought back was endearing to me and I cheered her for it. It seems to me that after Crook left Mildred's living situation declined a bit but in life everyone has troubles and her endeavors to make a better life for her and children in the beginning was great. I was dismayed though by the fact that Mildred seemed to need a "man" in her life to make herself feel better I mean couldn't her children have been enough for her but on the other hand a woman sometimes wants to feel wanted by somene other then her children. I recommend this book to everyone who has had a hard time in the life at some point and if you are not a fan of Terry McMillian then this book will make you a fan.

Rating:
Summary: Expeptional Read
Review: My mom referred this novel to me recently because she felt I was old enough to understand some of the more explicit content in the novel. I was immensely pleased that I was given the chance to read it my mom read it several times and absolutely loved it and now I know why. Mildred the main character is a single mother with 5 children (4 daughters Freda,Bootsey,Angel,and Doll) an a son Money and she had a lying abusvie husband Crook (which in my opinion is a an appropriate name for him) considering his actions towards Mildred were appalling the fact that Mildered fought back was endearing to me and I cheered her for it. It seems to me that after Crook left Mildred's living situation declined a bit but in life everyone has troubles and her endeavors to make a better life for her and children in the beginning was great. I was dismayed though by the fact that Mildred seemed to need a "man" in her life to make herself feel better I mean couldn't her children have been enough for her but on the other hand a woman sometimes wants to feel wanted by somene other then her children. I recommend this book to everyone who has had a hard time in the life at some point and if you are not a fan of Terry McMillian then this book will make you a fan.

Rating:
Summary: Really Reality? or Misrepresentation?
Review: Okay, I have to be honest, I've read this book several times. First, because I enjoyed it and secondly because of the dynamics of Fredda's character, and her love-hate relationship she has with her mother.

In spite of McMillan entitling this book "Mama" freda is clearly the focus [of the story]. Still, I did over-stand Mildred Peacock [Mama]. Mildred was a disparate woman surrounded by the narrow-minded expectations and demands of a small town in Michican during a time where there was little opportunities offered to women of color -- especially one with five children and no husband. So, like many women, Mildred did what she deemed necessary, to survive. Admirable in light of her also surviving spousal abuse. Okay, so Mildred was no nun, and she used everyman that took a fancy to her and justified her every mistake. But her redeeming quality is she wanted more for her children and pushed them toward the bigger picture.

Altough Terry McMillian's first novel, I thought it showed more promise than most of her current works available. Now don't get me wrong, I am not a fan of McMillian's. But, Mama was an exception, it's a superb reminder [in my oppinion] of so many LOUD, good intentioned, Sistas (mothers) raising kids in the hood during my own childhood. So placing one face on her was an almost impossible task.

Was this book realistic? Absolutely, I honestly knew Mildred. When the moral of the story is "life's tough" and "Sometimes, you hurt the one's you love" and even (and especially in the case of "Money," Mildred's wayward son) "It's never to late to change"...Now I ask you: Which of that isn't true to life?

... The truth is, [at least in my case] I can still look out the window and point out a Mildred, and look in the Mirror to see Fredda(smile).

Rating:
Summary: LOVED IT!!!!!!!
Review: Out of all of Terry Mcmillan's books that I have read this one was truly the best. I could certainly relate to the character Freda. Being the oldest of five I know how it is to be the second mother, and the needing to be physically away from your family to make a place for yourself in this world.