River Mumma

By: Zalika Reid-Benta

Narrated by: Tymika Tafari

Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

"Wholly original, remarkably crafted, and unmatched in voice. I loved this book!”—Cherie Dimaline, bestselling author of VenCo and Empire of Wild

Issa Rae's Insecure with a magical realist spin: River Mumma is an exhilarating contemporary fantasy novel about a young Black woman who navigates her quarter-life-crisis while embarking on a mythical quest through the streets of Toronto.

Alicia has been out of grad school for months. She has no career prospects and lives with her mom, who won’t stop texting her macabre news stories and reminders to pick up items from the grocery store.

Then, one evening, the Jamaican water deity, River Mumma, appears to Alicia, telling her that she has twenty-four hours to scour the city for her missing comb.

Alicia doesn’t understand why River Mumma would choose her. She can’t remember all the legends her relatives told her, unlike her retail co-worker Heaven, who can reel off Jamaican folklore by heart. She doesn’t know if her childhood visions have returned, or why she feels a strange connection to her other co-worker Mars. But when the trio are chased down by malevolent spirits called duppies, they realize their tenuous bonds to each other may be their only lifelines. With the clock ticking, Alicia’s quest through the city broadens into a journey through time—to find herself and what the river carries.

River Mumma is a powerful portrayal of diasporic identities and a vital examination into ancestral ties. It is a homage to Jamaican storytelling by one of the most invigorating voices in Canadian literature.

©2023 Zalika Reid-Benta (P)2023 Penguin Canada

Critic reviews

CBC'S "BEST CANADIAN FICTION OF 2023"

Cityline's October Book Club pick

One of:

The Walrus' "Best Books of Fall 2023"

Chatelaine's "Your Official Summer 2023 Reading List"

CBC Books' "74 works of Canadian fiction to read in fall 2023"

“River Mumma is a mad-dash hero’s journey of mythical proportions carried out in the span of a single day. It is both a love letter to Toronto and a meditation on ancestor gratitude. A masterclass in fusing cultural stories with current struggles, both internal and global, River Mumma will have you conflicted on whether to speed ahead or slow down to savour the deft writing and unforgettable imagery. Zalika Reid-Benta has created a story that will make you want to live fully, with eyes wide open to take in all the magic around us. There is so much to learn from this book, and so many loveable characters and locales to relish (and a badass spirit you wish you could be more like). Wholly original, remarkably crafted, and unmatched in voice, atmosphere, and action, River Mumma should be on every must-read list this season. I loved this book!”—Cherie Dimaline, bestselling author of VenCo and Empire of Wild

“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

“Prepare to be seduced by this book the way Alicia Gale succumbs to the pull of her ancestors' messages. An emotional quest painted with magic realism and folklore and set against the vibrant backdrop of Toronto’s York region, River Mumma is more of the Zalika Reid-Benta magic I’ve been waiting for.”—Catherine Hernandez, award-winning author of Scarborough the novel and screenwriter of Scarborough the film.