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.

Mother to Mother

by Sindiwe Magona

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Fate

Tags Race & Racism, Education, Education, African American Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

In writing Mother to Mother, Sindiwe Magona drew inspiration from a real event: the murder of a white American named Amy Biehl by young black men in 1990s South Africa. The crime caused shockwaves around the world, not least because Biehl herself had come to South Africa to combat apartheid—the system of segregation and discrimination that relegated black South Africans, as well as other people of color, to second-class citizenship.On the face of it, then... Read Mother to Mother Summary

Mrs. Fletcher

by Tom Perrotta

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Humor

Mrs. Fletcher is a 2017 comic novel by American author Tom Perrotta. It follows the sexual reawakening of middle-aged divorcée Eve Fletcher after her son, Brendan Fletcher, departs for college. Meanwhile, Brendan finds the campus environment inhospitable to his unthinking “lacrosse bro” misogyny. Mrs. Fletcher is the seventh novel by Perrotta, best known for 1998’s Election (adapted into a movie of the same name, starring Reese Witherspoon) and 2011’s The Leftovers, which was adapted into... Read Mrs. Fletcher Summary

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

by Robert C. O'Brien

Publication year 1971

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Community, Science & Technology, Grief, Aging, Death, Place, Friendship, Safety & Danger, Mothers, Animals, Family, The Past, Future, Education, Perseverance, Conflict, Hope

Tags Fantasy, Children`s Literature, Classic Fiction, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, Animals, Technology, Grief & Death, Agriculture, Parenting, Science & Nature, Philosophy, Sociology

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is a children’s science fiction novel written in 1971 by Robert C. O’Brien. It tells the story of a field mouse whose son becomes ill as moving day approaches, so she enlists the help of a group of highly intelligent experimental rats for help. Robert C. O’Brien was inspired to write the Rats of NIMH after a visit to the National Institute of Mental Health’s experimental rat compound... Read Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Summary

Mr Stink

by David Walliams

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Loneliness, Coming of Age, Appearance & Reality, Family, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Social Class, Community, Justice

... Read Mr Stink Summary

My Favorite Thing Is Monsters

by Emil Ferris

Publication year 2017

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Death, Coming of Age, Social Class, Sexual Identity, Community, Friendship, Safety & Danger, Siblings, Family, Art, Childhood & Youth, Daughters & Sons, Mothers, Race, Fear, Conflict, Beauty, Shame & Pride, Appearance & Reality, Loneliness, Grief, Fathers

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ+, Arts & Culture

... Read My Favorite Thing Is Monsters Summary

My Life as a Book

by Janet Tashjian

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Childhood & Youth, Friendship, Fathers, Mothers

Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Education, Grief & Death, Parenting, Relationships, Children`s Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction

... Read My Life as a Book Summary

My Name is Lucy Barton

by Elizabeth Strout

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Memory, Childhood & Youth, Mothers, Fathers, Love

Tags Trauma & Abuse, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Elizabeth Strout’s New York Times bestselling novel My Name is Lucy Barton follows the titular character on a journey of healing. Published in 2016, My Name is Lucy Barton explores the impact of trauma as Lucy navigates her reunion with her estranged mother. Longlisted for the 2016 Man Booker Prize, My Name is Lucy Barton was adapted for the stage as a one-woman show featuring acclaimed actress Laura Linney in 2018 and 2020. Strout’s novel... Read My Name is Lucy Barton Summary

New from Here

by Kelly Yang

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Hope, Love, Shame & Pride, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Place, Equality, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Science & Technology, Safety & Danger, Race, Mothers, Siblings, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Friendship, Marriage, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Social Class, Community, Nation, Regret

Tags Race & Racism, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read New from Here Summary

Next of Kin

by Hannah Bonam-Young

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Love, Disability, The Past, Nature Versus Nurture, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Mothers, Siblings, Teamwork

Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Next of Kin Summary

Night, Mother

by Marsha Norman

Publication year 1998

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Death, Aging

Tags Drama, Dramatic Literature, Depression & Suicide, Relationships, Women`s Studies, Education, Education, American Literature, World History, Mental Illness, Classic Fiction

’Night, Mother by Marsha Norman opened on Broadway in 1983, earning the Tony Award for Best Play and the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play takes place in real time, with no intermission or breaks in the action, to depict the unrelenting emotional exchange between Thelma and her daughter, Jessie, after Jessie announces that she plans to commit suicide. As Jessie sets her affairs in order, Thelma tries unsuccessfully to stop Jessie’s plan from... Read Night, Mother Summary

Nightwood

by Djuna Barnes

Publication year 1936

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, LGBTQ+, Women`s Studies, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

Nightwood, by Djuna Barnes, was first published in 1936. It tells the story of Robin Vote and the lives of those she becomes entangled with as she struggles with her desires and need for freedom. While set mostly in 1930s Paris, the novel is cosmopolitan in nature, with action also taking place in Vienna, Berlin, and various parts of America. This book is an example of modernist literature from the period between world wars and... Read Nightwood Summary