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.

Vanity Fair

by William Makepeace Thackeray

Publication year 1847

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Mothers, Power & Greed, Conflict, Forgiveness

Tags Satirical Literature, Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, British Literature, Comedy & Satire, World History, Romance, Victorian Era

Vanity Fair is a serialized novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, published from 1847-1848. The novel was subtitled Pen and Pencil Sketches of English Society, then changed to A Novel without a Hero in 1848. The novel’s characters generally lack positive qualities and are obsessed with social climbing and the acquisition of wealth. Vanity Fair has been adapted for film, television, and theatre. This guide uses the 2001 Penguin Classics edition. Content Warning: The source material... Read Vanity Fair Summary

Verity

by Colleen Hoover

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Guilt, Mothers

Tags Romance, Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Grief & Death, Love & Sexuality, Relationships, Trauma & Abuse, American Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

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Walk Two Moons

by Sharon Creech

Publication year 1994

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Coming of Age, Mothers, Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Walk Two Moons is perhaps the most famous work of Sharon Creech, a celebrated author of young adult fiction. The novel blends elements of both a coming-of-age narrative and a road story, and is set in the same literary universe as several of Creech’s other works, including Absolutely Normal Chaos (1990) and Chasing Redbird (1997). Following its 1994 publication, Walk Two Moons won numerous awards, including the 1995 Newbery Medal and the 1995 Children’s Book... Read Walk Two Moons Summary

Wandering Stars

by Tommy Orange

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Literature, Family, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Hope, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Nostalgia, Regret, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Race, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Grandparents, Mothers, Siblings, Colonialism, Community, Globalization, Politics & Government, Religion & Spirituality, Indigenous Identity

Tags Historical Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

... Read Wandering Stars Summary

Warlight

by Michael Ondaatje

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Fear, Grief, Loneliness, Gender Identity, Family, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Nation, War, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Coming of Age, Post-War Era

Warlight (2018) is a historical fiction novel by Sri Lankan-born Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje. Ondaatje is best known for his Booker Prize winning novel, The English Patient (1992). Part spy thriller and coming-of-age story, Warlight follows 14-year-old Nathaniel Williams and his older sister, Rachel, in post-World War II London. When their parents depart for a year-long work assignment in Singapore, the siblings are left in the care of an enigmatic guardian named The Moth. Nathaniel... Read Warlight Summary

Warriors Don't Cry

by Melba Pattillo Beals

Publication year 1994

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Education, Equality, Perseverance, Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Hate & Anger, Grandparents, Mothers

Tags Race & Racism, US History, African American Literature, Trauma & Abuse, Education, Education, World History, Biography

Originally published in 1994, Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals primarily focuses on the 1957-58 school year at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, during which Beals was a member of the Little Rock Nine—the first group of Black students to attend the formerly all-white high school of 2,000 white students. Beals’s book, written for young-adult readers, speaks of her early life and her many adult accomplishments. Encouraged by school administrators and local... Read Warriors Don't Cry Summary

Water By The Spoonful

by Quiara Alegría Hudes

Publication year 2012

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Community, Mothers

Tags Education, Education, Military & War, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature

Water by the Spoonful is a play by Quiara Alegría Hudes. First produced in 2011, it is the secondplay of a series, known as “The Elliot Trilogy.” Water by the Spoonful tells the story of multiple characters connected by familial bonds and online community, and their experiences with trauma and recovery.The play opens with Elliot and Yaz Ortiz, two cousins, meeting at the college where Yaz works as an adjunct music instructor. Yaz has found... Read Water By The Spoonful Summary

Water Moon

by Samantha Sotto Yambao

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Hope, Joy, Love, Memory, Regret, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Romance

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Ways to Make Sunshine

by Renée Watson

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Friendship, Siblings, Daughters & Sons, Mothers, Childhood & Youth, Love, Food, Equality, Fathers, Perseverance, Conflict, Grandparents

Tags Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Ways to Make Sunshine Summary

We Are Called to Rise

by Laura McBride

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers

Tags Military & War, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Published in 2014, Laura McBride’s first novel, We Are Called to Rise, narrates the story of four Las Vegas residents with different backgrounds whose lives become interconnected after a series of unexpected events leads to a family tragedy. Though they experience seemingly unrelated situations, they eventually play a role in each other’s lives to help heal the trauma created by loss, grief, and family abuse. This guide references the Scribd version of the Simon &... Read We Are Called to Rise Summary

We Did OK, Kid

by Anthony Hopkins

Publication year 2025

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Grief, Loneliness, Memory, Shame & Pride, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Midlife, The Past, Place, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Marriage, Mothers, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Fame, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies

Tags Memoir & Autobiography, Arts & Culture, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Relationships

... Read We Did OK, Kid Summary

We Need To Talk About Kevin

by Lionel Shriver

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Nature Versus Nurture, Mothers, Daughters & Sons, Siblings, Forgiveness, Fame, Family, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Incarceration, Relationships, Grief & Death, Trauma & Abuse, Parenting, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Psychology, Psychology

We Need to Talk About Kevin is a 2003 novel by Lionel Shriver. It is an epistolary novel, comprising the letters that Eva Khatchadourian writes to her husband Franklin in the aftermath of their son’s crime. The novel explores themes of nihilism, motherhood, the relationship between violence and depravity, and much more. The book won the Orange Prize for Literature in 2005 and was adapted into an acclaimed feature film starring Tilda Swindon and John... Read We Need To Talk About Kevin Summary

Weyward

by Emilia Hart

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Self Discovery, Love, Fear, Power & Greed, Equality, Mothers

Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Gender & Feminism, Trauma & Abuse

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What Comes After

by JoAnne Tompkins

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Loneliness, Coming of Age, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Nature Versus Nurture, Family, Friendship, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

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

... Read What Comes After Summary

What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky

by Lesley Nneka Arimah

Publication year 2017

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Mothers, Equality

Tags Magical Realism, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction

Lesley Nneka Arimah is a Nigerian writer who has lived in the United Kingdom and the United States. What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky is her debut collection of short stories, many of which have received literary awards, such as the O. Henry Prize and two awards for African writers: the Caine Prize and the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. At the heart of her stories, both realistic and speculative, are relationships... Read What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky Summary

What the Constitution Means to Me

by Heidi Schreck

Publication year 2017

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Hope, Nostalgia, Femininity, Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Masculinity, Race, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Family, Grandparents, Mothers, Politics & Government

Tags Drama, Comedy & Satire, Politics & Government, Women`s Studies, Immigration & Refugeeism, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature

... Read What the Constitution Means to Me Summary