Mothers

With classics like J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan and contemporary hits like Min Jin Lee's Pachinko, this collection gathers texts that grapple with the complex and archetypal role of the mother.

Lost Roses

by Martha Hall Kelly

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Mothers, Social Class, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Life-Inspired Fiction, Poverty, World War I, Russian Literature, World War II, Military & War, World History

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Love, Mom

by Iliana Xander

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, The Past, Nature Versus Nurture, Daughters & Sons, Family, Mothers

Tags Psychological Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction

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Love, Pamela

by Pamela Anderson

Publication year 2023

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Fame, Perseverance, Love, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Mothers, Self Discovery, Beauty

Tags Canadian Literature, Arts & Culture

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Love, Theoretically

by Ali Hazelwood

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Love, Regret, Power & Greed, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Justice, Appearance & Reality, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Self Discovery, Mothers, Education, Equality

Tags Romance, Education, Gender & Feminism, Love & Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction

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Lullabies for Little Criminals

by Heather O'Neill

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Daughters & Sons

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Canadian Literature

The novel predominantly takes place in the slums of Montreal, Canada. Baby, the thirteen-year-old protagonist of the novel, lives with her heroin-addicted father, Jules. Her mother died when she was still a baby, leaving fifteen-year-old Jules to care for her on his own. His young age, addiction, and overall immaturity leads to an unstable and dangerous life for Baby. The novel is told from Baby’s adult point of view, and each section and subsequent chapters... Read Lullabies for Little Criminals Summary

Lullaby

by Leslie Marmon Silko

Publication year 2002

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Birth, Mothers, Memory

Tags Classic Fiction

"Lullaby” is a short story by Laguna Pueblo writer Leslie Marmon Silko—a key figure in the Native American Renaissance. Indeed, “Lullaby” was first published at the height of this literary movement, in Silko’s 1981 collection Storyteller. This collection includes not only short stories but also poetry and photographs; the first edition was also printed in landscape (i.e. horizontal) orientation. By blending genres and playing with form in this way, Silko seeks to capture something of... Read Lullaby Summary

MaddAddam

by Margaret Atwood

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Science & Technology, Safety & Danger, Religion & Spirituality, Order & Chaos, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Good & Evil, Art, Mothers, Fathers, Siblings, Family, Hope, Environment, Future

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy

Margaret Atwood’s novel MaddAddam, published in 2013, completes her post-apocalyptic MaddAddam trilogy that begins with Oryx and Crake (2003) and continues with The Year of the Flood (2009). The trilogy takes place in the aftermath of a destroyed technological dystopia, a world in which corporations have totalitarian control. Atwood, an award-winning Canadian author, has been a prolific writer of poetry, short stories, novels, and many other forms since the early 1960s. She is known for... Read MaddAddam Summary

Madwoman

by Chelsea Bieker

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Childhood & Youth, Family, Fathers, Mothers, Safety & Danger

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Gender & Feminism

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Maid

by Stephanie Land

Publication year 2019

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Social Class, Femininity, Mental Health, Mothers

Tags Sociology, Poverty, Biography, Social Justice

Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive is Stephanie Land’s first book. Land is a former professional house cleaner whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. Her writing explores issues related to systemic poverty, the hardships and stigmas associated with social services, surviving in the gig economy, and the challenges of motherhood. Maid was originally inspired by a Vox article she wrote about... Read Maid Summary

Make Lemonade

by Virginia Euwer Wolff

Publication year 1993

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Family, Mothers, Teamwork

Tags Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Poverty

First published in 1993, Virginia Euwer Wolff’s Make Lemonade is a young adult novel written in free verse. The novel received numerous awards, including the Golden Kite Award for Fiction and the Parents’ Choice Book Award, and was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and School Library Journal Best Book. While Wolff herself defines her novel as “prose” with “stanzas” rather than poetry, she includes poetic imagery and innovative use of language and... Read Make Lemonade Summary

Matriarch

by Tina Knowles

Publication year 2025

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Femininity, Race, Coming of Age, Midlife, The Past, Family, Mothers, Fame

Tags Memoir & Autobiography

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Midnight At The Blackbird Cafe

by Heather Webber

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Regret, Death, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Food, Daughters & Sons, Family, Grandparents, Mothers, Social Class, Community, Economics, Justice, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Southern Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy

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