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Lessons from my Mother: Not including how to stop smoking!
Can anyone truly outrun their past? Or does it wear you down until you give up?
Iylah can't seem to catch a break, as life spirals in a manner she cannot control. At twenty-nine, she finds decade-long decisions following her shadow with no island of reprieve. Bad decisions met with grief and new revelations of a mother she loved and clinged onto. Her mother's past, mingles with her present and begins to make sense of it. What will she learn of her mother? What will she learn of her family? And Whom will she face in the reckoning of what she can't understand? When her paths cross with another wounded life, will she choose to exchange the lingering sound of gunshots, for the learning rhythms of healing hearts?
Jeb is unlucky in marriage and a hopeful romantic whose heart has been bruised by the meanderings of an ex-wife he would like to quickly wash out of his system. When he finds himself back where it all started, the reminders of a God he refuses to acknowledge are harder to ignore. So is the woman who finds herself in his childhood home. Maybe starting over is what eventually breaks him.
These are the lessons from their mothers, not including how to give up smoking!
Iylah can't seem to catch a break, as life spirals in a manner she cannot control. At twenty-nine, she finds decade-long decisions following her shadow with no island of reprieve. Bad decisions met with grief and new revelations of a mother she loved and clinged onto. Her mother's past, mingles with her present and begins to make sense of it. What will she learn of her mother? What will she learn of her family? And Whom will she face in the reckoning of what she can't understand? When her paths cross with another wounded life, will she choose to exchange the lingering sound of gunshots, for the learning rhythms of healing hearts?
Jeb is unlucky in marriage and a hopeful romantic whose heart has been bruised by the meanderings of an ex-wife he would like to quickly wash out of his system. When he finds himself back where it all started, the reminders of a God he refuses to acknowledge are harder to ignore. So is the woman who finds herself in his childhood home. Maybe starting over is what eventually breaks him.
These are the lessons from their mothers, not including how to give up smoking!
320 pages, Paperback
Published September 18, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 14, 2025
This was an intriguing read. Would definitely recommend for Christian friends and those who are wandering and questioning God. This is a great story depicting the amazing works of God and his grace on us. I will admit, it took me a while to get into this book, but I did enjoy watching Jeb and Iylah not only grow in their romantic relationship, but also their relationship with God. This book also spoke to me in some ways with the mental battle both characters had going on. I felt seen in certain ways and that meant something to me. But, that ending!? Ugh! 😅 Gotta hand that one to the author!
“With the confidence of a baby elephant.”
“Was that what they had? A platonic friendship?”
“How many times after a panic attack did she feel like talking? Scarcely. So she didn’t push, she waited.”
Thank you for the ARC Bessie Couteur. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
“With the confidence of a baby elephant.”
“Was that what they had? A platonic friendship?”
“How many times after a panic attack did she feel like talking? Scarcely. So she didn’t push, she waited.”
Thank you for the ARC Bessie Couteur. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 13, 2025
Such a beautiful journey! Loved watching the characters grow and learn. Definitely pulled on my heart strings.
September 10, 2025
I’m obsessed with Lessons From My Mother!! ♥️
It’s a fantastic story that follows the life of Iylah and all that life THROWS at her. She’s tough on the outside, but as the storyline unfolds, you learn the exterior image she’s projecting and the real-life stuff that she’s going through behind the scenes, and things start to make a lot more sense.
Our other character is Jebb - and let me tell you, I had one word to describe him… ANNOYING! 🤣
But, like I said, you learn the story behind the exterior, and you can’t help but feel for him. He too has his own problems, so it’s almost like a recipe for disaster… but does it stay that way… you’ll have to read it to find out 😀🤪
By the end, you’re gonna be attached to the characters and become severely invested in the storyline! It’s one of complex relationships, rollercoasters, hope, and possibly light at the end of the tunnel (no spoilers)🤫 It also feels like a reflective book. There were many times I would feel for the characters and think about how this applies in our world today, with how we can care for people and the troubles that go on beyond closed doors. You feel compelled to be compassionate, as you may never truly know what others are going through.
There is no way this is Bessie’s breakout book, because it feels like she’s been writing for years. This book will hook you in. After every chapter, I couldn’t put the book down cause I needed to know what was next.
Enjoy this amazing read! 🫶🏾 📚
It’s a fantastic story that follows the life of Iylah and all that life THROWS at her. She’s tough on the outside, but as the storyline unfolds, you learn the exterior image she’s projecting and the real-life stuff that she’s going through behind the scenes, and things start to make a lot more sense.
Our other character is Jebb - and let me tell you, I had one word to describe him… ANNOYING! 🤣
But, like I said, you learn the story behind the exterior, and you can’t help but feel for him. He too has his own problems, so it’s almost like a recipe for disaster… but does it stay that way… you’ll have to read it to find out 😀🤪
By the end, you’re gonna be attached to the characters and become severely invested in the storyline! It’s one of complex relationships, rollercoasters, hope, and possibly light at the end of the tunnel (no spoilers)🤫 It also feels like a reflective book. There were many times I would feel for the characters and think about how this applies in our world today, with how we can care for people and the troubles that go on beyond closed doors. You feel compelled to be compassionate, as you may never truly know what others are going through.
There is no way this is Bessie’s breakout book, because it feels like she’s been writing for years. This book will hook you in. After every chapter, I couldn’t put the book down cause I needed to know what was next.
Enjoy this amazing read! 🫶🏾 📚
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews