Good Mournin’ discusses the ways that grief is affected by the intersectionality of race and gender. Growing up, Mekdes found it interesting that her mother always made space for her emotions, but seemed to stifle her own. She felt most comfortable expressing the same emotion her mother leaned into most before she passed: anger.

Good Mournin' is unique because it exemplifies the versatility of perspectives surrounding grief and its impact on black women. This book does not aim to give you solutions but to share in your emotional journey. Find comfort and peace in the pages of these books so that you can see you are not alone, and your healing will be as unique as your experience.

About the Author

Mekdes grew up with her head in a book. Raised in the hustle and bustle of Washington, D.C., she found comfort and stillness in the plots of the books she read. She graduated Cum Laude from American University, majoring in International Relations and minoring in African and African-American Studies. Currently living in Dallas, she enjoys going to museums, comedy shows, and hanging out with her friends and dog, Nyphas.

Mekdes’ father is her favorite person in the world. They grew especially close after her mother passed and he has been a beacon of love and support. He fostered and inspired her literary aspirations and this book would never happen without his guidance. Her mother is her favorite person in heaven. She was her first friend and someone who never left her side. Mekdes’ mother deepened her faith not only in God, but in herself. Together, her parents strengthened her sense of self and provided her with a wonderful childhood. Although she does not have the luxury of seeing her parents everyday, this book has spiritually, mentally, and physically deepened Mekdes’ connection with them.