Getting Mother's Body

"More respectable things like getting my law degree or at least digging up the treasure and paying off my mother's bills with my percentage of it or I should be thinking how one day I'll become president and pass laws for fairness." ~ pg. 168

With high praise from bookhearts and authors like Pearl Cleage and Richard Russo, I had high expectations for Getting Mother's Body. It is a national bestseller and winner of the Pulitzer Prize. It was mentioned on Better Than the Movie podcast. The cover is very classic literature-ish and what I consider a good book to read in public. Who doesn't like classic cars? And it is actually about a road trip. So when I cracked open Getting Mother's Body and started reading, my hopes were way up.

The first line had me at attention O_O. Who is this unapologetic main character named Billy Beede? She comes home one day to find a notice that her mother's burial spot is about to be plowed up to make way for a supermarket. As the sole heiress to her mother's rumored fortune, she steals a truck and plans to dig up the jewels buried with her mother's body. With her aunt, uncle and mother's lover in tow, it turns into a funny down-on-luck adventure.

So did Getting Mother's Body live up to my high expectations? Not quite. But it is certainly a worthy good read. I would love to see this novel adapted to a play. Literally take these characters on the road. Just don't let Tyler Perry have anything to do with it.

Title: Getting Mother's Body
Author: Suzan-Lori Parks
Published: January 2003
Pages: 257
Edition: Hardcover
Challenge: Popsugar Book About a Road Trip; Popsugar National Book Award Winner
Rating: ♥♥♥♡