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 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
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2015
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Immigration, Natural World: Place, Identity: Language, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Self Discovery
Tags Satire, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Survival Fiction, Chinese Literature, Immigration / Refugee, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Romance, Fantasy
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class
Tags Realistic Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Immigration
Tags Historical Fiction, Indian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature
In the novel Sister of My Heart, the Indian-born American author and poet Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni explores issues of family, womanhood, and diasporic experience, constantly affirming and exploring the redemptive power of storytelling. Divakaruni’s first collection of stories, Arranged Marriage, won an American Book Award, a PEN Josephine Miles Award, and a Bay Area Book Reviewers Award. Her novel The Mistress of Spices was released as a film of the same name in 2005. Sister of My Heart was made into a television series... Read Sister of My Heart Summary
Publication year 1984
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Race, Society: Community
Tags Race / Racism, LGBTQ, Social Justice, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Classic Fiction, Politics / Government
Publication year 2014
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Fantasy, Romance