Tina Knowles’ book “Matriarch: A Memoir” was released Tuesday. Since then Beyhive fans and Mama Tina stans alike are talking about the many revelations revealed in it. As an added bonus, the audio version of Knowles’ memoir features narration by the closest people in her life, from Solange, to Kelly Rowland, to Beyoncé.
While the “Cowboy Carter” star usually prefers being out of the spotlight when it comes to public speaking and sharing intimate details about her life, Beyoncé shared a testimony about her mother that surprisingly resonated with me.
What Is Tina Knowles “Matriarch: A Memoir”About?
Tina Knowles released her memoir “Matriarch” on April 22. The book details the socialites journey of mothering multihyphenate stars Beyoncé and Solange. It also offers intimate details about her personal experiences in childhood, love, and success.
According to an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Knowles had been working on this memoir for over 10 years. Initially, it wasn’t meant to be shared with the world, but rather something to pass on to her family.
“I had started over 10 years ago, just recording my life story into my phone — not to publish, but for my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren. I never got to meet my grandparents, and I was always bugging my mama to know things about them. And some things, she didn’t even know! When this opportunity came up two years ago, there were a lot of things that happened,” Knowles told the publication.
What Did Beyoncé Say In “Matriarch: A Memoir ?”
Journalist Meecham Whitson Meriweather revealed on Threads that Beyoncé narrates part of Tina Knowles’ “Matriarch: A Memoir.” Although the entire audiobook is only available after purchasing it, there is an audiobook preview on Google Play Books.
In it, Beyoncé talks for over five minutes, thanking her mother for her honesty, bravery, and lifelong compassion. However, the highly decorated Grammy award winning singer also shares the information that changed Tina Knowles life forever.
“I remember the day I told you that I read one of the best things you can do as a mother is prepare them for when you’re not here on this earth and you’ve passed on to the next realm,” Beyoncé can be heard saying in the “Matriarch: A Memoir” audiobook.
It’s no surprise that the songstress was thinking about morality. In July 2024, Tina Knowles received a breast cancer diagnosis that left her family in shock, which she talks about more elaborately in the book. It was only after the designer and entrepreneur’s lumpectomy that she is now cancer-free.
About Preparing For Mortality
I really resonated with Beyoncé’s words in Knowles’ memoir. After all, I too am the child of mature-aged parents; my mother is 67 years old, just a few years shy from Knowles’ age. Knowles even moved into Beyoncé’s house after learning of her diagnosis. As a 25-year-old, I actually live with my mother.
Beyoncé’s narration about mortality really made me think about my mother’s mortality. Like Beyoncé, I have seen my mother prepare my sister and I for her possible untimely departure. For example, my mom is always talking to me about building generational wealth, investing in the stock market, and working on my health and fitness to operate at an optimal level later on in my life.
It seems like my mother is going to be here forever, and I truly wish she were. However, parents often pass away during their children’s lives. Grieving a parent’s death, especially a matriarch’s, is one kind of pain. But there’s even more pain and confusion in not knowing the deceased person’s story.
About Preserving Family Legacy
Beyoncé’s words made me come to terms with my own thoughts about my mother. It solidified to me the importance of preserving our stories. In her narration, the singer goes on to explain how these words ignited Knowles’s motivation to write the memoir.
“I saw the lightbulb go off in your head. Although that’s a tricky and very uncomfortable thing to deal with, to prepare your children for your mortality. The next thing I knew, you were writing a book with all of your stories,” Beyoncé continued in the memoir.
I drew conclusions to my own relationship with my mother. She’s currently creating a photo database of our family lineage and a video diary our family moments. Although my mom isn’t writing a best-selling memoir anytime soon, her dedication to protecting our family stories is admirable.