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 Awakening

by Kate Chopin

Publication year 1899

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Music, Mothers, Order & Chaos

Tags Gender & Feminism, Classic Fiction, American Literature, Depression & Suicide, Naturalism, Education, Education, World History, Historical Fiction

The Awakening is Kate Chopin’s second novel. It was first published in 1899 and is considered one of the first examples of feminist fiction.The novel opens in the 1890s Louisiana, at Grand Isle, a summer holiday resort popular among wealthy Creoles who live in nearby New Orleans. Edna Pontellier, her husband, Léonce, and their two children are vacationing at the cottages of Madame Lebrun. Léonce is a kind and devoted husband, but he is often... Read The Awakening Summary

The Berry Pickers

by Amanda Peters

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Indigenous Identity, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Memory, Death, The Past, Mothers, Siblings, Globalization, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Canadian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

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The Best of Friends

by Lucinda Berry

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Mental Health, Death, Friendship, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Justice, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

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

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The Book of Magic

by Alice Hoffman

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Love, Femininity, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Objects & Materials, Place, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Art, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction

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The Brooklyn Nine

by Alan Gratz

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Guilt, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Daughters & Sons, Friendship, Grandparents, Fathers, Mothers, Teamwork, Disability, Indigenous Identity, Gender Identity, Race, Immigration, Social Class, Community, Education, War, Nation, Self Discovery, Politics & Government, Place, Equality, Fate, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Wins & Losses, Truth & Lies, Aging, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, The Past, Midlife, Death

Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Sports, Realistic Fiction, World History

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The Cage

by Ruth Minsky Sender

Publication year 1986

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Memory, Mothers

Tags Children`s Literature, World History, Education, Education, Jewish Literature, World War II, Military & War, Biography

The Cage is the 1986 memoir of Ruth Minsky Sender, nee Riva Minska, detailing her family’s struggle to survive the Holocaust. Born in Lodz, Poland, Riva inhabits a close-knit community that integrates both Jews and non-Jews through shared traditions and intergenerational spaces. When Hitler’s Nazis invade Poland, thirteen-year-old Riva watches this peace crumble, as non-Jewish friends accept her family’s persecution and as Jews themselves adopt positions of power that hurt others in the community.After Riva’s... Read The Cage Summary

The Caucasian Chalk Circle

by Bertolt Brecht

Publication year 1944

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Love, War, Justice

Tags Drama, Symbolic Narrative, Modernism, German Literature, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature, Classic Fiction

Bertolt Brecht’s celebrated play, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, was written in 1944. The story is structured as a play within a play and touches on themes of justice, motherhood, and moral choices in times of crisis. Brecht, a German playwright best known for his unique style of drama called “epic theater,” was based in the United States at the time, and the play was translated into English by his friend, Eric Bentley. It went on... Read The Caucasian Chalk Circle Summary

The Chestnut Man

by Søren Sveistrup

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Equality, Family, Apathy, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Regret, Revenge, Death, The Past, Nature Versus Nurture, Place, Mothers, Politics & Government, Justice, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Trauma & Abuse

In 1989, police officer Marius Larsen drives to a remote farm on the Danish island of Møn. Inside, he finds the farmer Ørum's two teenage children shot dead and Ørum's wife hacked to death with an axe. In the bathroom, Larsen discovers a young boy barely alive beneath a shower curtain. Remembering the boy has a twin sister, he descends to the basement and finds the girl cowering in a room used as a prison... Read The Chestnut Man Summary

The Children

by Melissa Albert

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Revenge, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Art, Fate, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy

The narrative alternates between the adult life of Guinevere "Guin" Sharpe and her childhood at a remote Vermont house called the Farmhouse. Guin is the daughter of Edith Sharpe, author of the popular Ninth City children's fantasy series, and Llewellyn Sharpe, a deceased stage actor. The series follows two child protagonists, named after Edith's real children, who travel to the Ninth City, a magical realm overseen by the Architect, an elusive figure who steals visitors'... Read The Children Summary

The Cliffs

by J. Courtney Sullivan

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Guilt, Joy, Memory, Femininity, Indigenous Identity, Mental Health, Midlife, The Past, Place, Friendship, Mothers, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Community, Education, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Literary Fiction, Gothic Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

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The Confession

by John Grisham

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Justice, Race, Politics & Government, Mothers, Death

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Crime & Law, Social Justice, Incarceration, Grief & Death, Trauma & Abuse, Realistic Fiction, Race & Racism

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