In her groundbreaking and essential debut The Three Mothers, scholar Anna Malaika Tubbs celebrates motherhood by telling the story of the three women who raised and shaped some of America’s most pivotal heroes: Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin.

The book “makes real the foundation of three American icons allowing us to gain a deeper and more nuanced understand of these men,” said a review published in goodreads.com. 

“Uplifting and touching at the same time, this book depicts the strength and courage of these mothers as they fight to raise their families. Their stories reach through history to strike an accord as these themes replay today,” said the review. 

The author “has applied a fresh perspective to a time in history marked by the struggles of the long civil rights movement,” the review said. “In this book, we get a rich history of so many places, people, and generations, yet it was woven into a narrative form that makes it highly digestible.” 

It added: “This story of the mothers who gave us some of the most inspirational leaders of our time is a must read.”