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.

The Famished Road

by Ben Okri

Publication year 1991

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Community, Fathers, Mothers, Coming of Age, Power & Greed

Tags Magical Realism, Fantasy, African Literature, Poverty, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Coming of Age, African American Literature, Classic Fiction

Written in a style that evokes the oral tradition of storytelling, The Famished Road, by Nigerian writer Ben Okri, follows the peripatetic adventures of Azaro, a young boy who is finding his way amid the poverty and political passions of a newly independent nation. Winner of the prestigious Booker Prize in 1991, the novel presents an allegorical tale of both the pitfalls and the promise latent in the post-colonial moment. Nigeria was one of the... Read The Famished Road Summary

The Fat Girl

by Andre Dubus II

Publication year 1977

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Love, Mental Health, Mothers, Truth & Lies, Sexual Identity

Tags Psychological Fiction

“The Fat Girl” is a short story by Andre Dubus II that was originally published in his 1977 collection Adultery and Other Choices. Dubus was an American writer of short stories and essays from Louisiana. “The Fat Girl” chronicles nearly two decades in protagonist Louise’s life, spanning childhood to motherhood. The story explores Louise’s issues with body image, food and dieting, secrecy, gender roles, and relationships.This guide is based on the version of the text... Read The Fat Girl Summary

The Female Brain

by Louann Brizendine

Publication year 2006

Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction

Themes Science & Technology, Femininity, Masculinity, Gender Identity, Childhood & Youth, Aging, Midlife, Marriage, Mothers, Nature Versus Nurture

Tags Psychology, Science & Nature, Health, Self-Improvement, Gender & Feminism, Relationships, Love & Sexuality

... Read The Female Brain Summary

The Fifth Child

by Doris Lessing

Publication year 1988

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Disability, Femininity, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Birth, Childhood & Youth, Appearance & Reality, Nature Versus Nurture, Daughters & Sons, Family, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Social Class, Beauty

Tags Horror & Suspense, Gothic Literature, Classic Fiction

The Fifth Child is a novella by British writer Doris Lessing, recipient of the 2007 Nobel Prize for Literature. First published in the UK in 1988, the work blends domestic realism and gothic horror in an unsettling portrait of Harriet and David Lovatt, a couple with old-fashioned values whose lives are upended by the birth of their fifth child, Ben. Aggressive, unusually strong, and non-communicative, Ben does not conform to the Lovatts’ expectations of a... Read The Fifth Child Summary

The Fifth Season

by N. K. Jemisin

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Gender Identity

Tags Fantasy, Gender & Feminism, Science Fiction, LGBTQ+

The Fifth Season is the first installment of author N. K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy—a “science fantasy” series that blends scientific explanation with the magical or supernatural elements of the fantasy genre. After its publication in 2015, the novel received the 2016 Hugo Award recognizing excellence in science fiction or fantasy writing. Jemisin was the first black woman to win the prize, and went on to break another record when her sequels to The Fifth... Read The Fifth Season Summary

The Firm

by John Grisham

Publication year 1991

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Death, Social Class, Safety & Danger, Siblings, Revenge, Mothers, Guilt, Fear, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Marriage, Justice, Trust & Doubt, Hate & Anger, Politics & Government, Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Conflict, Perseverance

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

OverviewBook DetailsThe Firm is the second legal thriller written by attorney John Grisham. It followed his 1988 debut novel A Time to Kill. The Firm was the top-selling novel of 1991 on the New York Times bestseller list, bringing its author international fame. It focuses on new Harvard Law School graduate Mitch McDeere, who accepts a financially lucrative position with a Memphis law firm that he discovers is embroiled in unethical and illegal activities.Author HighlightsGrisham... Read The Firm Summary

The Five People You Meet In Heaven

by Mitch Albom

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Religion & Spirituality, Aging, Fate, Friendship, Forgiveness, Memory, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Family, Hate & Anger, Love, War, Grief, Marriage, Fathers, Nostalgia, Hope, Mothers

Tags Inspirational, Magical Realism, Religion & Spirituality, Grief & Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a novel by best-selling writer Mitch Albom. Published in 2003, it sold more than 10 million copies and appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. In 2004, the story was adapted into a made-for-television movie starring Jon Voight. In 2018, Albom penned a follow-up called The Next Person You Meet in Heaven. The novel follows the story of Eddie, a man who believes his life was... Read The Five People You Meet In Heaven Summary

The Fourteenth Goldfish

by Jennifer L. Holm

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Death, Science & Technology, Fame, Mothers, Daughters & Sons, Friendship, Aging, The Past

Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Children`s Literature, Humor

In 2014’s The Fourteenth Goldfish, by Jennifer L Holm, an aging scientist turns himself into a teenager who must re-enter middle school alongside his granddaughter while they plot to get him back into his lab to finish his brilliant work. A humorous science-fiction novel for middle-grade readers, The Fourteenth Goldfish is the first in a two-book series.   New York Times Bestselling author Holm has written nearly 60 books for young readers, including the May Amelia... Read The Fourteenth Goldfish Summary

The Frozen River

by Ariel Lawhon

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Birth, Animals, Family, Mothers, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Equality, Justice, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Gender & Feminism

... Read The Frozen River Summary

The Good Sister

by Sally Hepworth

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Siblings, Truth & Lies, Mental Health, Femininity, Childhood & Youth, Family, Mothers, Self Discovery, Beauty, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Diversity, Grief & Death, Mental Illness, Parenting, Relationships, Trauma & Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read The Good Sister Summary

The Great Lawsuit

by Margaret Fuller

Publication year 1843

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Mothers

Tags Sociology, Transcendentalism, World History

“The Great Lawsuit” is an essay by Margaret Fuller, an American writer known for her contributions to transcendentalism and the women’s rights movement of the 1800s. It was first published in 1843 in The Dial, a journal she edited at the time. Fuller expanded the piece to create Woman in the Nineteenth Century, a book published in 1845.An early example of feminist writing and a vehicle for transcendental ideas, “The Great Lawsuit” centers on concepts... Read The Great Lawsuit Summary

The Haunting Of Hill House

by Shirley Jackson

Publication year 1959

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Guilt, Family, Safety & Danger

Tags Horror & Suspense, Religion & Spirituality, Science Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, Classic Fiction

Published in 1959, The Haunting of Hill House, a Gothic novel by Shirley Jackson, was a 1960 finalist for the National Book Award. The protagonist is Eleanor Vance, a young woman with a troubled past who, along with two other guests, is invited to spend three months in a haunted house to take part in research gathered by Dr. John Montague. Like other Gothic novels, The Haunting of Hill House takes place in an old... Read The Haunting Of Hill House Summary