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.

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Love / Sexuality, Romance


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Fantasy, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, Afro-Caribbean Literature, Children's Literature


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Music

Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Drama / Tragedy


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance


Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Education

Tags Historical Fiction, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Japanese Literature, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1990

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Birth, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Relationships, Survival Fiction, Education, Education


Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Play: Tragedy, Mythology, Ancient Greece, Classical Period, Drama / Tragedy, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Libation Bearers is an ancient Greek tragedy by the Athenian playwright Aeschylus, first produced in 458 BCE at the City Dionysia in Athens. Libation Bearers is the second part of the Oresteia, a trilogy exploring the themes of justice, retribution, and the cyclical pattern of bloodshed within the family of the mythical king Agamemnon. Following the events of Agamemnon, the first tragedy of Aeschylus’s Oresteia, the play depicts the murder of Clytaemestra, the queen of... Read The Libation Bearers Summary


Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Play: Drama, Animals, History: World, Drama / Tragedy


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Gender / Feminism, History: World, Historical Fiction


Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Identity: Language

Tags Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Italian Literature


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Asian Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: World, Chinese Literature, Mental Illness, Fantasy


Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Society: Community

Tags Allegory / Fable / Parable, African American Literature, Race / Racism, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Published in 1998, The Men of Brewster Place is a companion to Gloria Naylor’s acclaimed 1982 novel, The Women of Brewster Place. Written as a series of vignettes, the novel tells the intertwining stories of seven Black men living in Brewster Place, a degrading apartment block in an unnamed American city. Each must fight to define his identity as a man while existing within the confines of a racist, sexist society. With themes of pain... Read The Men of Brewster Place Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Holocaust


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Asian Literature, Indian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction

Spanning the 1950s to the 2010s, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, a 2017 novel by Arundhati Roy, follows the interconnected lives of several characters against the backdrop of contemporary India. The novel skips backwards and forwards in time freely, often pauses for detours into the stories of minor characters and includes several texts within the main text (e.g., Bhartiya’s manifesto, or Tilo’s Kashmiri-English Alphabet). At heart, however, the novel consists of two main narrative threads... Read The Ministry Of Utmost Happiness Summary