|
|
Motherhood
Celebrating Mothers and the "Mothering" Process
Return to the Book List Menu.
"A mother is neither cocky, nor proud, because she knows the school principal
may call at any minute to report that her child has just driven a motorcycle
through the gymnasium."
--Mary Kay Blakely, b. 1948, American writer
FICTION
Albom, Mitch.
For One More Day. 2006.
Headed for complete self-destruction in the years following the death of his mother, a man gets a second chance to redeem his broken life when he spends a day with her spirit.
Cusk, Rachel.
Arlington Park. 2007.
A satirical look at five unhappy mothers trying to make sense of their seemingly empty lives in an upper crust London suburb.
Leimbach, Marti.
Daniel Isn't Talking. 2006.
Two-year-old Daniel Marsh's diagnosis with autism throws the family into a crisis. His mother Melanie pours her energy into seeking the best possible treatment for her son while Stephen, his father, insists that Daniel be sent away to a special school. As the marriage deteriorates, Melanie's love and determination lead to an unconventional but effective therapist for Daniel as well as several other life-changing developments.
Tan, Amy.
The Bonesetter's Daughter. 2001.
Before Alzheimers completely claims her mother's memory, Ruth Young resolves to read the elderly Chinese immigrant's written history with the assistance of a translator. Tan's fourth novel explores relationships between mothers and daughters as well as between immigrants and their first-generation offspring.
Toibin, Colm.
Mothers and Sons: Stories. 2007.
A collection of short stories centered around the relationships of mothers and adult sons.
Waldman, Ayelet.
Love and Other Impossible Pursuits. 2006.
Grieving over the loss of her newborn daughter, Emelia struggles with the demands of her five year old stepson, his angry mother, her increasingly strained marriage, and her own emotions. The result is a hard-won journey into motherhood utterly different than what she had originally envisioned.
NONFICTION
"There's a time when you have to explain to your children why they're born, and it's a marvelous thing if you know the reason by then."
--Hazel Scott, b. 1920, Trinidad-born American musician
Borkowsky, Amy.
Amy's Answering Machine: Messages from Mom.
2001. 817 BOR.
This book is a compilation of some of the hilarious messages Borkowsky's mother has left on her machine over the years. We all can sympathize!
Buchanan, Andrea J.
Mother Shock: Loving Every (Other) Minute of It. 2003. 306.8743 BUC.
In this sometimes humorous account of new parenthood, conflicted feelings about motherhood are treated as a normal response to what is an enormous life-changing event.
Canfield, Jack.
Chicken Soup for Every Mom's Soul: New Stories of Love and Inspiration for Moms of All Ages. 2005. 158.12 CHI
New stories from the popular Chicken Soup series.
Cusk, Rachel.
A Life's Work: On Becoming a Mother. 2002. 306.874 CUS.
British novelist Cusk (Arlington Park, The Country Life) provides her own unsentimental take on the first year of motherhood.
Dodson, Shireen.
The Mother-Daughter Book Club: How Ten Busy Mothers and Daughters Came Together to Talk, Laugh, and Learn Through Their Love of Reading. 2007. 028.9 DOD.
Dodson details how mothers and daughters can use a love of books and reading to share experiences and forge stronger ties with one another.
Douglas, Susan J.
The Mommy Myth: The Idealization of Motherhood and How it Has Undermined Women. 2004. 306.8743 DOU.
A critique of idealized standards for contemporary motherhood that are promulgated through mass media and popular culture.
Flanagan, Caitlin.
To Hell with All That: Loving and Loathing Our Inner Housewife . 2006. 305.4 FLA.
Flanagan delights some and infuriates others as she takes aim at our conflicted feelings about motherhood, housekeeping and marriage.
Orenstein, Peggy.
Waiting for Daisy: A Tale of Two Continents, Three Religions, Five Infertility Doctors, an Oscar, an Atomic Bomb, a Romantic Night, and One Woman's Quest to Become a Mother. 2007. B Orenstein.
An account of Orenstein's transition from ambivalence about motherhood to obsession with doing almost anything to become a mother.
Potter, Daniel A.
What to Do When You Can't Get Pregnant: The Complete Guide to All the Technologies for Couples Facing Fertility Problems . 2005. 618.178 POT.
Co-authored by a doctor and a former fertility patient, this highly informative guide cuts through the medical jargon to answer many questions about infertility and human reproductive technology options.
Tannen, Deborah.
You're Wearing That?: Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation. 2006. 306.874 TAN.
Tannen directs her expertise in human communication to the interaction between mothers and their teenage (and older) daughters.
Warner, Judith.
Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety. 2005. 306.8743 WAR.
An examination of the social conditions surrounding contemporary mothers' guilt and anxiety.
Mother Knows Best
"The only thing that seems eternal and natural in motherhood is ambivalence."
-- Jane Lazarre, b. 1943, American writer
Borba, Michele.
12 Simple Secrets Real Moms Know: Getting Back to Basics and Raising Happy Kids. 2006. 306.8743 BOR.
Borba, who already has written several books for the parenting bookshelf, here argues against adapting one's parenting style to fit the latest expert advice.
Due, Tananarive.
Freedom in the Family: A Mother-Daughter Memoir of the Fight for Civil Rights. 2003. 323.0922 DUE.
In alternating chapters that reflect the perspectives of two generations of women, a mother and daughter describe their commitment to the struggle for civil rights, from the height of the civil rights era to the present.
Ellison, Katherine.
The Mommy Brain: How Motherhood Makes Us Smarter. 2005. 306.874 ELL.
Ellison combines amusing anecdotes with research reports to make her case that not only do I.Q. tests not measure all types of intelligence, the heightened senses and multitasking required of mothers actually benefits their brains. Please say that it is so!
Fales-Hill, Susan.
Always Wear Joy: My Mother Bold and Beautiful. 2002. B FALES-HILL.Fales-Hill, a successful television writer, describes how she drew inspiration from her larger-than-life mother Josephine Premice, a singer and actress often rejected as either "too black" or "not black enough" for the few roles available to her.
Johnson, Susan. A Better Woman: A Memoir. 2002. B JOHNSON.
Australian writer Johnson chronicles what she describes as "... the struggle between being a responsible mother and being a fully cognizant, breathing human being" following an injury suffered during the birth of her second son.
Wasserman, Sylvia. The Long Distance Grandmother: How to Stay Close to Distant Grandchildren. 2001. 306.8745 WAS.
The 4th edition of the popular guide to long-distance grandparenting offers many delightful and creative suggestions for building and maintaining relationships with grandchildren.
Zukerman, Eugenia.
In My Mother's Closet: An Invitation to Remember. 2003. 306.8743 ZUK.
Eugenia Zuckerman invited forty-three women to talk about their mothers' closets and how those spaces helped them to imagine their futures.
Compiled by Eugenia Bryant; updated by Becky Sedam in April 2007.
|
|
