Episode 91: Attica Locke

For Every Mother Whose Child Knows Only Half the Story.

New York Times bestselling author Attica Locke’s newest novel Guide Me Home is the final installment in the trilogy of books that have followed the life and career of our hero Darren Mathews. A black Texas Ranger committed to bringing the guilty to justice no matter how high they may sit, whose world is an entanglement defined by strong family traditions and an alcoholic mother who has sold him out to his enemies.

 With this story of unexpected turns, surprising unholy alliances, and a race to find a missing black girl who may already be dead, Attica shines a light on the mysteries and shrouded nature of motherhood. With the waning days of the Trump administration as its backdrop, Attica excavates where the secrets lie, what stories have been told and left untold between Darren and Bell, and asks a profound question – do our mothers deserve grace and maybe love even in the fractures of the unknown?

 As Attica herself says, this is a story that she could only have written now because of where she is in her own life today. In the in between place. Sending her own daughter off to college this year and all the emotions that come with this process. Also, having a deeper understanding and grace for her own mom – once seen through a glass darkly, now known.  

Attica’s final destination is suggested in the dedication of the book. For every mother whose child knows only half the story.