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.

Broken Harbour

by Tana French

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Death, Appearance & Reality, Family, Mothers

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

Broken Harbour (2012), a literary thriller by Tana French, is the fourth installment in her Dublin Murder Squad series. The novel won numerous awards, including the Irish Crime Fiction Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. French has been praised for her blend of literary characterization, setting, and use of language alongside propulsive plots. Broken Harbour is told from the first-person point of view of Detective Mick “Scorcher” Kennedy. The plot involves... Read Broken Harbour Summary

Bullet Points

by Jericho Brown

Publication year 2019

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Race, Death, Mothers, Community, Nation, Equality, Justice, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Trauma & Abuse, Race & Racism, Social Justice

... Read Bullet Points Summary

Career of Evil

by Robert Galbraith

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Hate & Anger, Disability, Femininity, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Death, The Past, Place, Friendship, Mothers, Equality, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

Career of Evil (2015) is the third novel in the Cormoran Strike detective series by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling’s pseudonym). The story begins when Strike’s assistant, Robin Ellacott, receives a package containing a woman’s severed leg. The gruesome delivery sparks the investigative duo’s pursuit of a sadistic killer of women. As Strike and Robin investigate suspects from Strike’s troubled past, the story delves into themes of trauma, misogyny, and the lasting effects of violence. A... Read Career of Evil Summary

Carmilla

by Joseph Sheridan le Fanu

Publication year 2012

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Grief

Tags Classic Fiction, Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Gothic Literature, Fantasy, LGBTQ+

Carmilla is a Gothic novella in which a young woman named Laura details her relationship with a vampire in the form of a young woman named Carmilla. The first event that Laura details in the novella is an episode from her childhood: a six-year-old Laura is attempting to sleep when she is visited by a mysterious young lady (later revealed to be the vampire Carmilla, or at least a representation of Carmilla) who bites her... Read Carmilla Summary

Christabel

by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Publication year 1816

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Loyalty & Betrayal, Place, Sexual Identity, Safety & Danger, Mothers, Beauty

Tags Narrative Poem, Horror & Suspense, Love & Sexuality, LGBTQ+, Religion & Spirituality, Romanticism, British Literature, Science Fiction, Gothic Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a key figure in the British Romantic Era of poetry wrote the Gothic narrative poem “Christabel” in two parts, the first in 1797, and the second in 1800. Though it was still unfinished, “Christabel” was published in 1816.“Christabel” is Coleridge’s longest poem, at almost 700 lines. It is also the least edited of Coleridge’s work. Most of the poem contrasts the innocent piety of Christabel with the experience and supernatural abilities of... Read Christabel Summary

Class

by Stephanie Land

Publication year 2023

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Mothers, Social Class, Perseverance, Shame & Pride, Education

Tags Poverty, Social Justice, Education, Education, Sociology, Biography, Politics & Government

... Read Class Summary

Cleopatra

by Saara El-Arifi

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Love, Femininity, Gender Identity, Death, Animals, Place, Daughters & Sons, Friendship, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Social Class, Politics & Government, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Mythology, Fantasy

... Read Cleopatra Summary

Clock Dance

by Anne Tyler

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Family, Trust & Doubt, Community, Mothers, Marriage, Conflict, Gratitude, Love

Tags Realistic Fiction, Gender & Feminism, Love & Sexuality, Parenting, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction

Clock Dance (2018) is Anne Tyler’s 22nd domestic literary fiction novel that explores the smaller details of the human condition. Clock Dance, which spans time periods from 1967 to 2017, follows Willa, a woman who’s always made herself useful to those around her without any regard for her own needs. Through Willa’s life, Clock Dance explores themes of self-fulfillment, appreciation, passivity, and community to show how people do (or don’t) change throughout time. This novel... Read Clock Dance Summary

Clytemnestra

by Costanza Casati

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Femininity, Family, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Justice

Tags Mythology, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Gender & Feminism, World History

... Read Clytemnestra Summary

Comfort & Joy

by Kristin Hannah

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Grief, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Femininity, Childhood & Youth, Midlife, Death, Future, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Romance, Special Occasions

... Read Comfort & Joy Summary

Communion

by bell hooks

Publication year 2002

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Loneliness, Love, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Midlife, Fathers, Marriage, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Justice

Tags Feminist Theory, Gender Studies, Self-Improvement, Gender & Feminism, Love & Sexuality, Philosophy, Relationships, Women`s Studies

... Read Communion Summary

Contact

by Carl Sagan

Publication year 1985

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Hope, Memory, Femininity, Future, Fathers, Mothers, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Technology

Tags Science Fiction, Classic Fiction, Fantasy

... Read Contact Summary