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.

Flight Behavior

by Barbara Kingsolver

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Birth, Marriage, Mothers, Globalization, Environment

Tags Climate Change, Science & Nature, Modern Classic Fiction

Barbara Kingsolver’s 2012 novel Flight Behavior presents a symbolic connection between Dellarobia Turnbow, an unhappy farm wife who secretly dreams of running away from it all, and a surprising migration of monarch butterflies that alight upon her in-laws’ property in Feathertown, Tennessee. As the butterflies struggle to survive and reproduce to continue their species, Dellarobia struggles in her efforts to deal with the consequences of her past decisions and the possibility of her new life... Read Flight Behavior Summary

Flight Of The Puffin

by Ann Braden

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Childhood & Youth, Fathers, Friendship, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Art, Equality, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Trust & Doubt

Tags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ+, Children`s Literature

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Forever...

by Judy Blume

Publication year 1975

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grandparents, Mothers, Fathers, Sexual Identity, Self Discovery, Friendship

Tags Romance, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

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Forged By Fire

by Sharon M. Draper

Publication year 1997

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Social Class, Mothers, Siblings, Fear

Tags Realistic Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Grief & Death, Trauma & Abuse, Social Class, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

Forged by Fire is a novel for young adults written by Sharon M. Draper. It is the second book in the Hazelwood High trilogy, which focuses on the lives of high schoolers in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was first published in 1997 and won the Coretta Scott King Award. Forged by Fire focuses on the life of Gerald Nickelby, a young African American boy, and his struggles with physical and emotional abuse. Other books in the... Read Forged By Fire Summary

For One More Day

by Mitch Albom

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Music, Forgiveness, Memory, Fathers, Mothers, Family

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Inspirational, Fantasy, Self-Improvement

For One More Day, by Mitch Albom, tells the story of Charles “Chick” Benetto, a retired baseball player fallen on hard times. The story is framed by a prologue and epilogue where a narrator explains that they are telling the story from Chick’s perspective, “because I’m not sure you would believe this story if you didn’t hear it in his voice” (7). The book is comprised of short chapters told in the first person, and... Read For One More Day Summary

Freaky Friday

by Mary Rodgers

Publication year 1972

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Self Discovery, Love, Coming of Age, Gender Identity, Childhood & Youth, Mothers, Siblings, Beauty

Tags Fantasy, Humor, Children`s Literature, Coming of Age

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Free Lunch

by Rex Ogle

Publication year 2019

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Family, Mothers, Shame & Pride, Hope, Gratitude, Hate & Anger

Tags Realistic Fiction, Poverty, Trauma & Abuse, Children`s Literature, Biography

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Friend of My Youth

by Alice Munro

Publication year 1990

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Memory, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Mothers, Family

Tags Symbolic Narrative, Grief & Death, Gender & Feminism, Women`s Studies, Modern Classic Fiction, Canadian Literature, Classic Fiction

“Friend of My Youth” is the title short story from the collection of the same name by Alice Munro, published in 1990. The collection won the 1990 Trillium Book Award, which recognizes writers from Ontario, Canada.Narrated in the first person, the story is told from the perspective of an unnamed female writer in mourning for her mother, who died some years earlier of Parkinson’s disease. The narrator describes a recurrent dream that she used to... Read Friend of My Youth Summary

Full Measures

by Rebecca Yarros

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Grief, Love, Memory, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Future, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Community, War, Fate, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

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Future Home of the Living God

by Louise Erdrich

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Mothers, Future

Tags Science Fiction, Gender & Feminism, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Nature, Race & Racism, Fantasy

Future Home of the Living God is a 2017 speculative fiction novel by American author Louise Erdrich. Told by Cedar Hawk Songmaker, a pregnant Native American woman in her mid-twenties living in Minneapolis, the story consists of her reflections as she waits to give birth. In the novel’s pre-apocalyptic America, human evolution has reversed, meaning that the species has begun to biologically regress into an infertile state. Meanwhile, the United States government has undermined citizens’... Read Future Home of the Living God Summary

Game Changer

by Tommy Greenwald

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Teamwork, Loyalty & Betrayal, Friendship, Community, Safety & Danger, Forgiveness, Guilt, Memory, Conflict, Hope, Mothers, Fathers, Childhood & Youth, Masculinity, Truth & Lies, Fear, Family

Tags Sports, Realistic Fiction, Disability, Children`s Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

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Game On

by Navessa Allen

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Forgiveness, Grief, Loneliness, Love, Revenge, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Family, Fathers, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Horror & Suspense

Navessa Allen’s Game On (2026) is the third novel in the interconnected dark romantic comedy series Into Darkness, following Lights Out and Caught Up. The story centers on Tyler Neumann, an underground bookie who engineers a blackmail scheme against Stella McCormick, a tattoo artist. To clear her younger brother’s massive gambling debt, Stella must pretend to be Tyler’s girlfriend and introduce him to her family’s wealthy social circle, which he plans to exploit for his... Read Game On Summary

Garden Spells

by Sarah Addison Allen

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Shame & Pride, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery

Tags Magical Realism, Fantasy

Garden Spells is the debut novel by American author Sarah Addison Allen, published in 2007. The novel, an example of the urban fantasy genre, relates the story of a pair of Southern sisters coming to terms with their heritage. The book became a New York Times bestseller, was recognized on the American Library Association’s Reading List for Best Women’s Fiction of 2007, and won the 2008 SIBA Book Award for fiction. Following the success of... Read Garden Spells Summary

Ghost Story

by Peter Straub

Publication year 1979

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Memory, Regret, Shame & Pride, Revenge, Aging, Death, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Music, Art, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Femininity, Sexual Identity, Friendship, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Teamwork, Order & Chaos, Justice, Equality

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Religion & Spirituality

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