The Other Mother

This epic tale is full of heart, while also providing a realistic look at the struggles families face when children do not fit the molds their parents expect. Musical prodigy Jenry Castillo is a freshman at Brown University, on the hunt for more information about the famous father he never knew, Jasper Patterson. His grandfather Winston is a well-known professor of African American history at Brown. When Jenry shows up, Winston is perplexed as to why Jenry is asking about Jasper when he should be asking about Juliet, Jasper’s sister. What follows is a gripping generational tale of the secrets that can bind families and tear them apart. Harper (Brass Ankle Blues), who has written under other pen names, provides an in-depth look at the way motherhood, gender, race, and class all come together to make, or break, a family. January LaVoy and William DeMerritt bring the generations to life, easily switching among characters of different genders, ages, cultures, and classes.