{"book":{"book":"Friends and Family","author":"Natalie Baszile","publicationYear":"","description":"Friends and Family follows the relationship between two mothers, Babs, a Black woman, and Nora, a white woman raising an adopted Black son. Their close bond is severely tested when a police encounter occurs involving their children while they are home alone. In the aftermath of this crisis, both women are forced to confront their deeply held assumptions regarding race, identity, and motherhood. The novel explores the difficult choices each mother makes in trying to best protect her family. Through its characters, the story examines complicated dynamics of race, class, and allyship under intense personal strain.","image":"https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/2160x2160+0+0/resize/3000/quality/66/format/jpg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe7%2Fb5%2F72441ff74b45b9c622be0a50f5ae%2F9c703c08-4ff0-476a-93d7-346d1e0ac72d.jpg","date":"2026-10-28"}}