Sweet Pea

The unforgettable story of a Black woman who creates her own chosen family after tragedy, in a “warm and wise” tale (Observer UK) of the enduring power of a mother’s love.

When Paulette arrived in English as a young girl, she left behind a grandmother in St. Kitts who called her “Sweet Pea,” taught her to cook, and admonished her to avoid temptation and embrace love and forgiveness, in that order. Now Paulette is twenty-nine and in love with Denton, who she hopes to start a family with. But then Denton is killed in a car accident, and Paulette is left to grieve, as Denton’s friend Garfield finds his way into her bed. Soon their son is born, Bird, and Paulette decides to give Bird the best of everything, even as she lets Garfield go. Paulette believes her life is full, until one day when she meets an older man and his grandson, the same age as Bird. Paulette takes the boy under her wing, and soon she is cooking him meals, making sure his clothes are clean, and letting him call her Sweet Pea. As the years go by, Paulette begins to understand the value of forgiveness, and most of all, love, and how much allowing it to guide her life has provided the strength she needed.