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.
Publication year 1993
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams
Tags Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Poverty
First published in 1993, Virginia Euwer Wolff’s Make Lemonade is a young adult novel written in free verse. The novel received numerous awards, including the Golden Kite Award for Fiction and the Parents’ Choice Book Award, and was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and School Library Journal Best Book. While Wolff herself defines her novel as “prose” with “stanzas” rather than poetry, she includes poetic imagery and innovative use of language and... Read Make Lemonade Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Humor, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
Publication year 1798
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Femininity, Society: Education, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Classic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Philosophy, Gothic Literature, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Philosophy
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Mental Health
Tags Romance, New Adult, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Romance, Southern Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy
Publication year 1941
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Gender
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Relationships, Parenting, Class, Business / Economics, Finance / Money / Wealth, Great Depression, American Literature, Love / Sexuality, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2013
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Self Discovery, Relationships: Family, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Gender / Feminism, Race / Racism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Biography
Publication year 2006
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude
Tags Gender / Feminism, American Literature, History: World, Parenting, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1939
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Play: Drama, German Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction
Mother Courage and Her Children (1939) is a play by German author Bertolt Brecht (1898-1980). It tells the story of Anna Fierling, nicknamed Mother Courage, a peddler who travels across Europe during the Thirty Years’ War. It is a drama that questions the justification of warfare, revealing the hypocrisy of a war fought on religious grounds. As the war unfolds, Mother Courage struggles to keep her business afloat and her three children safe. The play... Read Mother Courage and Her Children Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1972
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers
Tags Lyric Poem, African American Literature, Relationships
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Race / Racism, Education, Education, African American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
In writing Mother to Mother, Sindiwe Magona drew inspiration from a real event: the murder of a white American named Amy Biehl by young black men in 1990s South Africa. The crime caused shockwaves around the world, not least because Biehl herself had come to South Africa to combat apartheid—the system of segregation and discrimination that relegated black South Africans, as well as other people of color, to second-class citizenship.On the face of it, then... Read Mother to Mother Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Humor
Mrs. Fletcher is a 2017 comic novel by American author Tom Perrotta. It follows the sexual reawakening of middle-aged divorcée Eve Fletcher after her son, Brendan Fletcher, departs for college. Meanwhile, Brendan finds the campus environment inhospitable to his unthinking “lacrosse bro” misogyny. Mrs. Fletcher is the seventh novel by Perrotta, best known for 1998’s Election (adapted into a movie of the same name, starring Reese Witherspoon) and 2011’s The Leftovers, which was adapted into... Read Mrs. Fletcher Summary
Publication year 1971
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Mothers, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Classic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Animals, Technology, Grief / Death, Agriculture, Parenting, Science / Nature, Philosophy, Sociology
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is a children’s science fiction novel written in 1971 by Robert C. O’Brien. It tells the story of a field mouse whose son becomes ill as moving day approaches, so she enlists the help of a group of highly intelligent experimental rats for help. Robert C. O’Brien was inspired to write the Rats of NIMH after a visit to the National Institute of Mental Health’s experimental rat compound... Read Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Summary
Publication year 1947
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Education
Tags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Humor
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Publication year 2017
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Education, Grief / Death, Parenting, Relationships, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Grandparents, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, African American Literature, Children's Literature, History: World