“Written with powerful emotional honesty, warmth and humor, JUDGE’S GIRLS is a must-read.” —Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling author Three very different women. Only one thing in common. But when their family patriarch dies and they must share his estate, the truths they discover will test them—and everything they think they know about each other. Beloved Georgia judge Joseph … other.
Beloved Georgia judge Joseph Donaldson was known for his unshakable fairness, his hard-won fortune—and a scandalous second marriage to his much-younger white secretary. Now he’s left a will with a stunning provision. In order to collect their inheritance, his lawyer daughter Maya, her stepmother Jeanie, and Jeanie’s teen daughter, Ryder, must live together at the family lake house. Maya and Jeanie don’t exactly get along, but they reluctantly agree to try an uneasy peace for as long as it takes . . .
But fragile ex-beauty queen Jeanie doesn’t know who she is beyond being a judge’s wife—and drinking away her insecurities has her in a dangerous downward spiral. Fed up with her mother’s humiliating behavior, Ryder tries to become popular at school in all the wrong ways. And when Maya attempts to help, she puts her successful career and her shaky love life at risk. Now with trouble they didn’t see coming—and secrets they can no longer hide—these women must somehow find the courage to admit their mistakes, see each other for who they really are—and slowly, perhaps even joyfully, discover everything they could be.
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When beloved Judge Joe dies, his daughter, stepdaughter and wife all struggle with the sudden loss…and each other. Maya, Joe’s biological daughter, is a talented attorney. All her life, her dad told her she’d have to work harder as a Black woman, and she has…to the point where she refuses to accept help or support from anyone. Joe’s wife, Jeanie, has always been cast in the role of white trash, but her love for Judge Joe was everything. Alcohol gives her the escape she wants, but it’s ruining her. Her teenaged daughter, Ryder, has never known another father other than Joe, and having always been a bit of an outsider in high school, starts hanging with a bad crowd to escape her suddenly horrible home life.
What I loved about this book was that Sharina Harris doesn’t pull any punches—each character, including the sainted Joe, is flawed, layered and complicated. And Sharina includes an element that was present in (Im)Perfectly Happy as well, something rarely seen in women’s fiction—a solid, loving relationship that won’t budge under pressure. Refreshing, intelligent and completely relatable, this book is a winner.
I have had a book hangover for a few days. I absolutely adored The Judge’s Girls by Sharina Harris. She has crafted a masterpiece about members of a blended family trying to overcome the death of the patriarch Judge Donaldson. This book is told through three narrators. The first is Judge’s daughter, Maya, who is a lawyer and her mother died when she was five. The judge left her the house. The second is the Judge’s second wife, Jeanie, who has a teenage daughter, Ryder, and is given the rights to live in the house. The third narrator is Ryder, who loves and is loved by Maya and Jeanie. Themes explored in Judge’s Girls are race in the Deep South (Georgia), alcoholism, teenage angst, death, step-mother issues, job discrimination.
You owe it to yourself to read this beautifully written book. You will be glad you did. I plan on recommending Judge’s Girls to my bookclub. Thank you Bookishfirst and Kensington Books for an ARC. The opinions in this review are my own.
Judge’s Girls by Sharina Harris tells the story of what happens when a center of a family passes away.
In Judge’s Girls, the judge was Judge Joseph Donaldson who was a fair Judge and respected by everyone in the community. The judge was a father to Maya and a husband to Jeannie and a stepfather to Ryder.
After he passes, its discovered that there is a caveat in the will that says that the three “girls” must live together for an entire year before they can inherit. The time frame for this book is that year.
The setting for the story is in the south, in Georgia. The story is told in multiple POV of each of the girls.
There are strong racial themes in this story. The Judge and his daughter Maya are black and Jeannie and Ryder are white. There are also themes of alcoholism, grief and family dynamics.
I absolutely LOVED this book. I mean LOVED. The author crafted complex, complicated yet well developed characters.
The dynamics of the family were well written. Amongst the serious tone, there were laugh out loud moments, I especially enjoyed the funeral scene.
I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves women’s fiction and stories that are diverse and real . This is a #ownvoices story not to be missed!
Love the characters .The book was a growing to know each other better ad learning to help each other thru a grieving process. Each made the other stronger and had better understanding of the other The aunts were you typical old ladies that always interferes but are always right in the end. In this case they thought they knew what the dead wanted.The story was serious but also funny. I did enjoy it .
Interesting and well-paced depiction of a still-unusual situation: the tensions that arise in a blended, bi-racial family.
Judge’s Girls from the opening scene is both funny and at the same time a tear-jerker. It redefines what family looks like in the 21st century.
Loveeee this book!!! so many great things to say about it first because there are so many great characters specially the three women that are the main characters of this book, They were so different from each other but they had one thing in common to love Joseph Donaldson. Husband, Father, Step-Father, and a guy with a great heart that is always trying to be good and to help others. but life was not so easy specially after Judge Joseph left this plane and left her three girls completely alone with a stipulation on his will that is so hard for them to follow.
Maya the only daughter of Judge Joseph feels like she was never seen by her father, she always felt like he was very strict with her not allowing her to feel and show any weaknesses or even to have a sad day. she felt like she didn’t know her father in so many ways as he was one way with her and a totally different way with Janie and Ryder. she felt always somehow anger towards her stepmom, she felt like she was so fragile and she wasn’t alow to be that way making their relationship even harder.
Ryder is only a teenager, she has an amazing relationship with her step-sister no matter if they came from different race or culture they both were amazing to each other nothing and no one will have any change to separate them even if Ryder knew Maya never had a great relationship with her mother. Ryder has her own story, she is also struggling with all the drama in her house, her mother can’t stop losing her self and she really needs her.
Janie feels so lost without Joseph she has become a walking zombie around Ryder and around the house, everything is so dirty and incomplete disorder, even her feelings and mind are all over the place but the lack of conversations and honesty is making everything ten times worst until she hits rock bottom and decided that is time for her to regain her life and her family.
what a beautiful and wonderful story this is a multicultural story, we can see so much of what is happening today, people not understanding each other, but what I love is that the author gave these women a chance, to make mistakes and to seek for forgiveness, I love how three of them had different personalities but what kept always uniting them was the love for Judge.
Faith, strength, and second chances are what Judge’s girls evoked for me, I love the closer Maya had, I love how Janie was humble enough at the end to recognized her mistakes as wells Maya, I love how Ryder was more mature at times than her mother and stepdaughter. This was a very refreshing read, I really enjoy it so much.
Sharina Harris, the author of “Judge’s Girls” has written an emotional, thought-provoking, intriguing, and captivating story. The genres for this novel are Domestic Fiction, Women’s Fiction, and Contemporary Fiction. I love the way Sharina Harris vividly describes her characters and their growth and events in this book. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events. The author describes her dramatic characters as complicated and complex. The themes revolve around Joseph Donaldson, a Georgia Judge, who passes away and the three different women that mean so much to him in his life.
When Joseph passes away, the family is surprised at the stipulations in his will. His biological daughter Maya is an attorney who seems very strong and positive. His step-daughter Ryder is almost ready for college and has a flair for writing poetry and expressing and communicating her thoughts. Jeanie, was Joseph’s wife and seems to have issues emotionally dealing with many things. Joseph provides for all of them but does want Jeanie to be able to live in Maya’s house for as long as she wants.
Maya and Jeanie don’t get along, and it seems at times that Maya acts not only as the big sister to Ryder, but taking on the role of a parent as well. To both Maya and Jeanie, Joseph’s wishes spell out a recipe for disaster. Maya has always had to “man up” and be strong and not show weakness by crying. Jeanie on the other hand seems to have been treated like a fragile person.
Can this new arrangement allow for forgiveness and second chances? I appreciate that the author discusses alcohol and drug abuse, and getting the help that one needs. The author also discusses the importance of honesty, communication, family, love, and hope. I highly recommend this amazing novel for other readers.
THREE very DIFFERENT women.
Only one thing in common.
But when their FAMILY PATRIARCH DIES and they must share his estate, the truths they discover will test them—and everything they think they know about each other.
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Have you ever OBSERVED, we are all BONDED with our inner circle/ first primary family & even relatives, THROUGH OUR PARENTS?
Do the FAMILY DYNAMICS & relationships CHANGE with the loss of a parent or parents? when that mortal link/ bond/ the parent goes away..
Have you realised, the relationships needs more of an effort now, from both sides, to continue to prosper & flourish, like they did earlier, effortlessly, when the parents were around?
#aotd I have observed all of this & more, not only personally but sadly, for others too..
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Welcome to the #booktour of JUDGE’S GIRLS by Sharina Harris
FAMILY IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT…
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Other book by the author;
(IM) PERFECTLY HAPPY.
Definitely going to read it next!
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The author also writes women fiction & contemporary romance series under the #penname RINA GRAY.
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About this book;
It released on 27th Oct.
19 chapters with worth pondering discuss ques.s at the end.
The entire book is weaved around the death of the head of the family, the father..with each chapter mentioning the date & no. of days after the death of daddy .
My most FAVORITE PART was the ending, where the JUDGE’S GIRLS mature as JUDGE’S WOMEN, stronger & closer together.
How did that happen, that’s the most exciting part!
FACING YOUR OWN DEMONS & INSECURITIES, ACCEPTING YOURSELF & OTHER FULLY IS A BIG DEAL.
FORGIVENESS is truly a virtue, very difficult to attain.
&
LOVE is a very strong emotion, a delicate one at the same time.
READ this book to experience a rally of emotions, a constant tussle with self & others.. It’s INSPIRING & will surely leave you smiling with a teary eye.
Also you sure will get a misnuscle does of adult stuff!
All in all, it’s my kind-of read, a perfect heartwarming read, giving you a few lessons on the way.
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“Written with powerful emotional honesty, warmth and humor, JUDGE’S GIRLS is a must-read.”–
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#blurb
Beloved Georgia judge Joseph Donaldson was known for his unshakable fairness, his hard-won fortune—and a scandalous second marriage to his much-younger white secretary. Now he’s left a will with a stunning provision. In order to collect their inheritance, his lawyer daughter Maya, her stepmother Jeanie, and Jeanie’s teen daughter, Ryder, must live together at the family lake house. Maya and Jeanie don’t exactly get along, but they reluctantly agree to try an uneasy peace for as long as it takes . . .
But fragile ex-beauty queen Jeanie doesn’t know who she is beyond being a judge’s wife—and drinking away her insecurities has her in a dangerous downward spiral. Fed up with her mother’s humiliating behavior, Ryder tries to become popular at school in all the wrong ways. And when Maya attempts to help, she puts her successful career and her shaky love life at risk. Now with trouble they didn’t see coming—and secrets they can no longer hide—these women must somehow find the courage to admit their mistakes, see each other for who they really are—and slowly, perhaps even joyfully, discover everything they could be.
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Judge Donaldson was a kind man, that believed in second chances for those that came through his courtroom. And also for his marriage to a younger, white woman. Maya and Jeanie, Judges daughter and wife never saw eye to eye. Ryder grew up with Judge as her father, even though they look nothing alike, he was her father. Maya felt her father babied Jeanie, and that Jeanie was weak and too emotional. But, when Judge dies, things start spiraling for the three women. Jeanie is lost in who she is without him, Ryder tries getting into a popular crowd, in the wrong ways, and Maya jeopardizes her career to try and sort everything out.
I don’t know where to begin. This was a great book. The three main characters all are strong women, in their own ways, but also have their weaknesses. You watch them grow throughout the book, as their relationship changes. This was beautifully written and very emotional at times. The talk of loss, really hit home. I was hooked from page one, and definitely recommend this book.
Oh my god. What the heck just happened and why am I sobbing?!? THIS BOOK LET ME TELL YOU. This book is brilliant and beautiful and funny and lovely and heartbreaking and everything you could possibly want. I loved Ryder, who was smart and a kick ass poet and completely lost when her dad dies. I loved Maya, who takes stuff upper lip to the extreme, but is passionate about making the world a more just place. And Jeanie, who I couldn’t stand at the beginning, but as she is revealed through the pages, becomes real and lost and more… The racial aspects of the book are handled beautifully, with a bit of a smack on the head, and so much grace. This book was perfect.
Thanks to Judge Joe’s will, the three very different “girls” in his life—his much younger and white wife, Jeanie, his daughter Maya, and his stepdaughter Ryder—are forced to share his estate. After all these years, will they finally learn how to get along and maybe even (gasp) love and appreciate each other?
After so many years of resenting each other, it would be difficult to see a different point of view, but the death of their beloved patriarch might just be the ripple effect needed. The author did a fabulous job writing three very different perspectives and making the emotions and situation feel authentic. This touching story about forgiveness warmed my heart, and I teared up several times, especially at the end.
Location: Hope Springs, Georgia
I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
A messy, yet wonderfully written story about a multiracial family coming together after the death of the man who held their family in balance. Judge Joseph Donaldson married Jeanie after his first wife died. His daughter Maya doesn’t love or respect his new wife, but she does have a unique relationship with her step-sister Ryder. When Joseph unexpectedly dies and leaves the family home to his daughter Maya, with the stipulation that his wife Jeanie can live there until she decides to leave, old animosities surface.
This novel details how each of the three ladies deals with Joseph’s death. It touches on race and racial misunderstandings. It chronicles how everyone grieves differently and how each of us can seem strong or weak. Ultimately it shows that in order to live life to its fullest that we must learn to forgive each other and cherish the time that we have with one another.
I really enjoyed Harris writing style, her characters are well rounded and authentic, and her message is one that is relevant today.