"Stunning debut. that marks the emergence of a powerful new voice." -- Publishers Weekly , starred review "A race-against-the-clock page-turner with friendship and diasporic community building at its heart, this book is a winner." -- Booklist , starred review "This is a splendid story about ancestry, identity, and creativity." -- Apple Books Review " River Mumma is a propulsive read filled with captivating characters, page-turning mystery, and a thoughtful examination of kinship and ancestral ties." -- Toronto Life ". Reid-Benta writes powerfully of the diasporic experience, the connections between family history and community, and the role and importance of lore and mythic history." --Toronto Star " River Mumma is a blessing and Zalika Reid-Benta's talent is a truly special gift.
This is a quest novel that maps Jamaican folklore across modern-day Toronto; three young people are sent on a mission by a goddess and if that doesn't pique your interest then something is very wrong with you." -- Victor LaValle , award-winning author of The Changeling "Wholly original, remarkably crafted, and unmatched in voice, atmosphere, and action, River Mumma should be on every must-read list this season." -- Cherie Dimaline , bestselling author of Empire of Wild " River Mumma is the type of vivid, rich novel I love best. It left me turning pages and pondering possibilities well into the night." -- Alicia Elliott , bestselling author of A Mind Spread Out on the Ground "A generational saga, a big-city survival narrative, a study of diasporic cultural nuances, all wrapped inside a thrilling adventure. Complex, deep and resonant, River Mumma is coming for your heart." -- Samit Basu , author of The City Inside " River Mumma is a love letter to culture, home, and coming of age--and will spark important, relevant book club conversations, too." -- Marissa Stapley , New York Times bestselling author of Lucky "A fast-paced and absorbing adventure steeped in Caribbean folklore and mythology, River Mumma is a treat for the senses.
" -- Uzma Jalaluddin , bestselling author of Ayesha at Last "River Mumma is a necessary book about race, gender, ancestry, colonialism, eco-existentialism, and desire." -- Jenny Heijun Wills , author of Older Sister. Not Necessarily Related "A page-turner of a novel that is both funny and poignant, River Mumma magically and seamlessly weaves Jamaican folklore and myth with the winter landscape of Toronto to create a compelling fictional landscape." -- Shyam Selvadurai , author of Mansions of the Moon "A powerful and evocative novel weaving threads of magical realism to create a powerful and moving tale about a search for identity. It is a journey-diasporic, ancestral, cultural, and personal-all coming together by the importance of storytelling by a master storyteller." --Maurice Broaddus , award-nominated author of Sweep of Stars.