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 1959
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction
Psycho (1959) is a horror novel by Robert Bloch and the inspiration for filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock’s film of the same name, which came out one year later. While Hitchcock’s adaptation has largely eclipsed Bloch’s original in the public eye, fans of the film will recognize the basic plot and the major twists in Bloch’s novel. However, Bloch’s Norman Bates is (physically) unrecognizable from the version Anthony Perkins played on screen. Psycho is a slasher thriller... Read Psycho Summary
Publication year 1977
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Children's Literature
Publication year 1979
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Society: Class
Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Children's Literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1983
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Existentialism, Race / Racism, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
Part 1Twyla and Roberta, the two main characters in Toni Morrison's short story, "Recitatif," meet at the Saint Bonaventure orphanage (St. Bonny's) as 8-year-old girls. When Twyla first arrives at the shelter and sees Roberta, who is another race (the reader is not told which girl is white and which girl is black), Twyla immediately tells the staff, "My mother won't like you putting me in here" (243). Twyla's mother has warned Twyla about people... Read Recitatif Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Race
Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, History: Asian, Children's Literature, History: World
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Animals, Grief / Death, Parenting, Relationships, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Self Discovery, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Romance, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
Publication year 1904
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Nation
Tags Play: Tragedy, Irish Literature
Riders to the Sea (1904) is a one-act Irish play by John Millington Synge, originally performed in the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. The play portrays the events of one day in the cottage of a low-income family living on Inishmaan, one of the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland, as they cope with the loss of male relatives to the rough waters between the islands and mainland Ireland. This short play incorporates themes... Read Riders to the Sea Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2008
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Identity: Masculinity, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Education, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons
Tags Humor, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Grandparents, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Crime / Legal, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
IntroductionEmma Donoghue’s Room is a 2010 novel about a boy named Jack who lives in a single room with his mother, Ma. Room is a crime thriller novel that explores themes of trauma, innocence, and adaptability through the eyes of five-year-old narrator, Jack. Room has received many awards, including the ALA Alex Award, the Indies Choice Book Award for Fiction, and The New York Times Book Review Best Book of the Year award. Room was... Read Room Summary
Publication year 1967
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Rosemary’s Baby is a Gothic horror novel by American writer Ira Levin. Published in 1967, it was a bestseller that was adapted into a critically acclaimed 1968 film starring Mia Farrow and directed by her husband, Roman Polanski. The novel is known for its focus on themes like women’s liberation and reproductive freedom, urban paranoia and fears of surveillance, and the relationship between conservative Christianity and the occult in the 20th century. Critics have also... Read Rosemary's Baby Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Gothic Literature
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Disability, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Diversity, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Rules was the first novel published by Cynthia Lord. Rules is a book for middle-grade readers that has remained popular and in print from the time of its initial publication. The Scholastic paperback version summarized here first appeared in 2018. For a debut novel, Rules was immediately accepted by young readers and by the literary community. The book won a prestigious Newberry Honor Book award and received the Schneider Family Book Award. It was named... Read Rules Summary
Publication year 1989
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Immigration
Tags Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, American Literature, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Chinese Literature, Relationships, History: Asian
“Rules of the Game” is a story in Amy Tan’s 1989 collection, The Joy Luck Club, which was adapted into a film by the same name. Tan was born in California to Chinese immigrant parents and grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. She wrote the short story in response to an article she read about Chinese Americans playing chess.The story is told by Waverly Place Jong, the daughter of Chinese immigrants living in... Read Rules of the Game Summary
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Birth, Relationships: Mothers, Natural World: Climate
Tags Gender / Feminism, Natural Disaster, African American Literature, Climate Change, Southern Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction
Salvage the Bones tells the story of the Batiste family in Bois Sauvage, Mississippi, in the twelve days leading up to Hurricane Katrina. Claude Batiste’s wife, mother of Randall, Skeetah (Jason), Esch and Junior, died a few years ago, right after Junior was born. The kids still live with their father, in an area called the Pit. They are a poor, black family, who mainly survive on what Claude can make by salvaging and then... Read Salvage the Bones Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Music, Identity: Gender
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Literary Fiction, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community
Tags Historical Fiction, Food, Romance