Young Mothers Ireland The Irish Times
The Weight of Water, the Strength of Girls: Leila Mottley’s “The Girls Who Grew Big”
Leila Mottley, the prodigious talent who stunned the literary world with her debut novel nightcrawling, returns with The Girls Who Grew Big (Fig Tree, ISBN: 978-0-241-70551-3, Guideline price: £16.99), a poignant exploration of young motherhood and community in a forgotten corner of Florida. While Nightcrawling earned Mottley a Booker nomination at the tender age of 17, this second novel delves into the lives of three young women navigating the complexities of adolescence and parenthood in the fictional town of padua Beach.
at the heart of the story is Simone, a 21-year-old mother of twins and the founder of “The Girls,” a support network for local teen mothers. Alongside her are Emory, the group’s intellectual, and Adele, a pregnant champion swimmer. Mottley paints a vivid picture of their lives,set against a backdrop of hurricanes,alligators,and the ever-present ocean,a “magnificent green blurring of nothing” that mirrors the girls’ own ever-changing beauty and vulnerability.
While Nightcrawling drew strength from its Oakland setting, grounding the narrative in gritty realism, The Girls Who Grew Big embraces a more fairytale-like quality. The challenges these young women face are undeniably real, but the story unfolds in a world where the ocean becomes a symbol of the human condition and villains like Emory’s racist grandfather, Pawpaw, lurk in the shadows.
Mottley’s poetic voice, honed through her work as a poet, shines through in her evocative descriptions. A wave becomes “a perfect curl, a turquoise that looked like dyed bathwater,” and the texture of umbilical cords is likened to “pasta before it’s cooked through.” this lyricism, when paired with concrete details, elevates the narrative, particularly in the compelling sequence where Simone grapples with Florida’s abortion regulations after finding herself pregnant again.The lengths she goes to – selling Emory’s breast milk to raise money, making multiple trips to a Tallahassee clinic – underscore the desperation and resilience of these young women.However, the novel isn’t without its shortcomings. The shared, arresting voice of Simone, Adele, and Emory can be disconcerting, blurring the lines between their individual perspectives.Furthermore, the book occasionally feels oversteeped in wisdom, symbolism, and an earnest desire to celebrate these women. While not saccharine, the constant emphasis on love can feel cloyingly sweet despite the darkness that permeates their lives. The idealized portrayal of motherhood is also undermined by the one-dimensional depiction of the girls’ own mothers, who are frequently enough portrayed as neglectful and absent.
Despite these flaws, the Girls Who Grew Big is a powerful and moving exploration of young motherhood, community, and the enduring strength of women in the face of adversity. Mottley’s talent for language and her commitment to portraying overlooked worlds make this a worthwhile read, even if it occasionally stumbles under the weight of its own ambition. The moments of humor,like Emory’s sharp observations about a teacher,offer welcome relief and remind us of the resilience and wit that these girls possess,even in the face of overwhelming challenges.