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.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette

by Maria Semple

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers

Tags Humor, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Where’d You Go, Bernadette, published in 2012, is the second novel by Maria Semple, a former television writer who worked on shows such as Mad About You and Arrested Development. A bestseller praised by numerous critics as one of the best books of the year, Where’d You Go, Bernadette is a fast-paced comic novel with a complex narrative structure. The book follows an epistolary format, meaning the text is largely composed of letters, emails, and... Read Where'd You Go, Bernadette Summary

Where the Heart Is

by Billie Letts

Publication year 1995

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Social Class, Perseverance, Mothers, Family, Community

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Romance

Where the Heart Is was published in 1995 and is the first novel by award winning American novelist Billie Letts. The novel is set in Letts’s home state of Oklahoma and follows the story of teenager Novalee Nation and her ne’er-do-well boyfriend, Willy Jack Pickens. The novel was chosen as a selection for Oprah’s Book Club in December of 1998. It also won the Walker Percy Award in 1994. The novel was made into a... Read Where the Heart Is Summary

Whistling Past the Graveyard

by Susan Crandall

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Race, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Mothers, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Southern Literature, World History

Whistling Past the Graveyard (2013) is a coming-of-age novel by Midwest American fiction writer Susan Crandall. The title comes from an English phrase that references how people often try to act unafraid in dangerous situations. The story follows nine-year-old Starla as she runs away from life with her strict grandmother and travels with a cast of characters to find her estranged mother in Nashville. This story takes place during the civil rights movement, exposing Starla... Read Whistling Past the Graveyard Summary

White Oleander

by Janet Fitch

Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Daughters & Sons, Death, Perseverance

Tags Coming of Age, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature

White Oleander was written by Janet Fitch and first published in 1999. It is a young adult realistic fiction novel that functions as a bildungsroman and focuses on the story of a young girl who is separated from her mother and placed in a series of dysfunctional foster homes. The novel was chosen for Oprah’s Book Club in 1999 and achieved national bestseller status afterward. It was also adapted into a 2002 film of the... Read White Oleander Summary

Wild

by Cheryl Strayed

Publication year 2012

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Forgiveness, Memory, Hate & Anger, Love, Shame & Pride, Fear, Grief, Perseverance, Conflict, Loneliness, Hope, Safety & Danger, Environment, Place, Mothers

Tags Grief & Death, Travel Literature, Relationships, Love & Sexuality, Science & Nature, Action & Adventure, Biography

... Read Wild Summary

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China

by Jung Chang

Publication year 1991

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Family, Mothers, Politics & Government

Tags Asian History, Asian Literature, Asian Literature, World History, Chinese Literature, Politics & Government, Biography

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China (1991) is a family history and autobiography by Chinese writer Jung Chang. Set against the backdrop of 20th-century China, in particular the first three decades of Communist rule (1949-1978), Wild Swans appeared in print at an important historical moment. Communism was under siege worldwide. In 1991, the year of the book’s original publication, the Soviet Union collapsed. Meanwhile, the Chinese Communist government’s violent crackdown on pro-freedom demonstrators at Tiananmen... Read Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China Summary

Winter Garden

by Kristin Hannah

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Family, Mothers, Memory, The Past, Grief, Perseverance

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, World War II, Russian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

... Read Winter Garden Summary

Wintergirls

by Laurie Halse Anderson

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Family, Grief, Friendship, Mothers, Guilt, Shame & Pride, Food, Fear, Trust & Doubt, Conflict, Fathers, Appearance & Reality

Tags Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness, Grief & Death, Depression & Suicide, Modern Classic Fiction

Wintergirls is a young-adult novel by Laurie Halse Anderson published in 2009 by Penguin Books. Wintergirls is the winner of the 2010 Milwaukee County Teen Book Award and has received several other award nominations. Wintergirls follows the mental health journey of Lia Overbrook as she attempts recovery from anorexia, depression, and other mental health issues. Lia spends the weeks during Thanksgiving and Christmas struggling to gain closure over her former best friend Cassie’s death. Lia... Read Wintergirls Summary

wishes for sons

by Lucille Clifton

Publication year 1987

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Childhood & Youth, Love, Shame & Pride, Fear, Perseverance, Conflict, Hope, Justice, Equality, Power & Greed, Mothers

Tags Lyric Poem, Gender & Feminism

... Read wishes for sons Summary

Woman of Light

by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Hate & Anger, Hope, Love, Memory, Femininity, Race, Death, Daughters & Sons, Mothers, Social Class, Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Western, Magical Realism, World History

... Read Woman of Light Summary

Women

by Alice Walker

Publication year 1973

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Mothers

Tags Parenting, African American Literature, Women`s Studies, Gender & Feminism, World History, Arts & Culture, Politics & Government, Religion & Spirituality

... Read Women Summary

Wrecker

by Carl Hiaasen

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Joy, Loneliness, Race, Coming of Age, The Past, Climate, Environment, Plants, Place, Fathers, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Beauty, Safety & Danger

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure, Realistic Fiction

... Read Wrecker Summary

Year of Yes

by Shonda Rhimes

Publication year 2015

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Hope, Regret, Femininity, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Race, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Community, Equality, Fame

Tags Self-Improvement, Gender & Feminism, Memoir & Autobiography

Year of Yes: How to Dance it Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person (2015) is a memoir by television writer and producer Shonda Rhimes. The book recounts the life changes that Rhimes made in 2014 when she committed herself to saying “yes” to opportunities and invitations. In 2013, Rhimes was immersed in both a successful career and a busy life, parenting three daughters. An off-hand comment by her older sister complaining... Read Year of Yes Summary

Young Mungo

by Douglas Stuart

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Masculinity, Mothers, Siblings, Coming of Age, Conflict, Social Class, Safety & Danger, Love

Tags LGBTQ+, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Bullying, Social Class, Trauma & Abuse, Love & Sexuality, European History, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance

... Read Young Mungo Summary

Your Fault

by Mercedes Ron

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Guilt, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Fathers, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger

Tags Love & Sexuality, Romance

... Read Your Fault Summary