The Girls Who Grew Big

The Girls Who  Grew Big by Leila Mottley

From Leila Mottley, the acclaimed author of Nightcrawling—an Oprah’s Book Club pick and New York Times bestseller—comes The Girls Who Grew Big, a stunning and deeply moving new novel about teenage motherhood, resilience, and friendship in a small town on the Florida panhandle.

Adela Woods is just sixteen when she’s sent away from her privileged Indiana life to live with her grandmother in Padua Beach, Florida—a place where palm trees sway, secrets simmer, and survival takes a village. There, she meets the Girls: a fierce, tight-knit group of young moms doing whatever it takes to raise their babies—and each other.

Among them is Emory, who brings her newborn to high school while refusing to give up on her dreams; Simone, a mother of twins facing an unexpected pregnancy; and a crew of teenage mothers finding strength in sisterhood and solidarity—riding through life in the back of Simone’s red truck.

The town sees them as lost. They know they’re just getting started.

Set against the heat and humidity of Florida’s coast, The Girls Who Grew Big is a raw, radiant portrait of motherhood, girlhood, and the messy beauty of coming of age. With searing prose, rich emotion, and undeniable hope, Leila Mottley captures the complexity of being young, vulnerable, and powerful all at once.

Perfect for fans of Jesmyn Ward, Jacqueline Woodson, and Brit Bennett, this is a story about growing up too soon—and growing into something magnificent.