Getting Mother’s Body by Pulitzer-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks (2003) is a compelling, multi-voiced novel that reimagines As I Lay Dying against a mid-20th-century African American backdrop.
When sixteen-year-old Billy Beede learns her mother’s burial site may be disturbed by development, she embarks on a journey from Texas to Arizona. Along the way, a cast of flawed relatives, shifting allegiances, secrets, and the haunting voice of her mother (who “speaks” in song) propel this lyrical exploration of family, identity, grief, and resilience.
 
With echoes of southern Gothic and jazzed inflections, Getting Mother’s Body offers an original, darker, and emotionally rich take on familial bonds and the lengths one will go to claim legacy, truth, and self.
 
📌 Perfect For
Fans of Toni Morrison, Jesmyn Ward, and Zora Neale Hurston
Readers of Southern and African American literature
Book clubs exploring themes of family, loss, and legacy
Those who enjoy literary fiction with a musical, poetic voice
Collectors of Pulitzer Prize–winning authors’ debut novels
 
💖 Why You’ll Love It
A powerful, character-driven narrative filled with humor, heartache, and hope.
Written by a Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright, known for her musical, expressive prose.
Captures the spirit and rhythm of the American South with unforgettable voices.
Perfect for readers who love multi-perspective storytelling and family redemption arcs.
Blends literary depth with accessible emotional storytelling, ideal for book clubs.