Few relationships can be as complicated or emotionally charged as those between mothers and daughters – that’s why we love reading books about mother-daughter relationships!
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Whether in fiction or a memoir, mother-daughter characters face unique challenges. Their interactions are often fraught with tension. But these stories are also incredibly enriching and inspiring as mothers and daughters navigate the ups and downs of life.
Get ready to discover the best books about mother-daughter relationships. Whether you’re seeking catharsis, insight, or a good story, you’ll laugh, cry, and be inspired by these remarkable tales of love, loss, and growth!
What are the best mother-daughter books to read?
Exciting New Release Books with Mother-Daughter Themes
Hedge by Jane Delury
Maud is a skilled garden historian and doting mother of her two daughters, Ella and Louise. She’s seeking a fresh start from her rocky marriage and a jump-start for her professional life.
When she seizes a summer opportunity to revitalize the breathtaking 19th-century garden on a sprawling estate in the Hudson Valley, she doesn’t expect to fall in love with her handsome coworker, archeologist Gabriel Crews.
Upon the arrival of Ella and Louise, she finds herself conflicted between her attraction to Gabriel, her responsibilities towards her daughters, and her mounting worries about Ella’s simmering anger.
Add it to my “want to read” list!
Oh My Mother: A Memoir in Nine Adventures by Connie Wang
The Chinese phrase “wo de ma ya” is equivalent to “oh my god,” but the word literally translates to “oh my mother,” emphasizing how it’s the first person that comes to mind when you’re on the verge of losing it!
Through a series of poignant, amusing, and unreserved essays, journalist Connie Wang shares anecdotes from her travels with her obstinate and magnetic mother, Qing Li.
Each story is accompanied by an “oh my god” moment, like attending a raunchy Magic Mike show in Las Vegas or experimenting with cannabis in Amsterdam. Through their travels, this iconic mother-daughter team searches for their place in the world, constantly at odds with each other and the world!
This one sounds like a party in a book! I can’t wait to read it.
Best Fiction Books for Mother-Daughter Relationships
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
This beloved novel, first published in 1989, tells the story of four Chinese immigrant mothers and their American-born daughters navigating cultural differences, generational divides, and the weight of family history.
The Joy Luck Club began in San Francisco in 1949 over dim sum, mahjong, and conversations about shared grief and optimism. Forty years later, these mothers still share stories, but they now include the highs and lows they encounter with their daughters.
I can’t believe I’ve never read this novel! I was sixteen when it came out. Maybe now that I’m older, I’ll be able to appreciate it more!
White Oleander by Janet Fitch
This universally acclaimed novel and Oprah Book Club Pick follows Ingrid, a talented poet serving time for murder, and her daughter Astrid as she negotiates the perils of each foster home she encounters.
In this captivating and unexpected coming-of-age story, Astrid discovers herself while learning valuable lessons and facing dangerous obstacles. A powerful and beautifully written tale of redemption!
It seems like a page-turner you won’t want to put down. Save it for a quiet weekend!
Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
Bernadette Fox is a woman of many reputations, an outspoken partner, a source of shame to the well-to-do mothers of a Seattle private school, and a pioneering architect. To her teenage daughter, Bee, she is simply Mom and a cherished best friend.
However, Bernadette disappears after Bee excels on her report card and earns the promised family trip to Antarctica. Bernadette’s increasing aversion to Seattle and humanity, in general, has made her agoraphobic and not likely to agree to a trip anywhere!
Bee sets out to find her mother by gathering and examining a variety of messages, documents, and secret communications that are shared cleverly throughout the novel.
I read and enjoyed this novel a few years ago. It was a fun read about the complicated relationship between a mother and daughter in a world that often makes little sense.
Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
Her mother’s mysterious disappearance has haunted Jenna Metcalf after a tragic accident for over a decade. She refuses to believe her mother abandoned her. She regularly searches online and reads her mother’s journals, which mainly focus on grief among elephants, hoping to uncover a clue to her whereabouts.
Jenna enlists the aid of two unlikely allies, Serenity Jones, a renowned psychic who struggles with doubts about her abilities, and Virgil Stanhope, a cynical detective who previously investigated Alice’s case and her colleague’s mysterious death, to uncover the truth.
As they delve deeper into the case, they discover that the answers they seek are more challenging to face than the questions they ask. The story culminates in a captivating finale as Jenna’s memories converge with events in her mother’s journals.
One of Jodi Piccoult’s best novels! I was enthralled by it and blown away by the ending.
My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
After undergoing a seemingly straightforward operation, Lucy Barton is slowly on the mend. Unexpectedly, her estranged mother arrives to visit her in the hospital. Reminiscing about their shared past in Amgash, Illinois, draws them closer.
However, beneath the surface, the unresolved tension and yearning that have shaped every facet of Lucy’s life, from her escape from a tumultuous family to her aspirations as a writer and her love for her children, remain.
Lucy’s compelling voice makes this novel an unputdownable read. She’s a shrewd observer, relatable in her humanness, and impossible to forget.
The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett
Unmarried mothers are typically temporary residents at St. Elizabeth’s in Habit, Kentucky. However, Rose Clinton, a beautiful, enigmatic, and married expectant mother, stays long after giving birth to her child, Cecilia.
Rose planned to give up her baby when she first arrived, feeling ill-equipped to parent. However, when her daughter entered the world, Rose found a place for both of them within the St. Elizabeth’s community of nuns and young expectant mothers.
Rose wanted to leave her past behind, but she can’t stop it from creeping back into her life. Now she has to reconcile all she was and who she’s become.
This novel sounds like a fascinating read. I’m curious to discover Rose’s past and why she choose to stay at St. Elizabeth’s.
Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi
Tara was once rebellious, leaving her arranged marriage to join an ashram, becoming a beggar, and chasing after a disheveled homeless artist while dragging her young daughter, Antara, along with her.
Now, Tara is beginning to forget things, and the adult Antara, an artist and married, must come to terms with her past while caring for the woman who never cared for her.
Burnt Sugar explores the complicated relationship between a mother and daughter, questioning the validity of memories and myths. Through rich and raw language, Avni Doshi delivers a powerful story that touches on shifting memories, changing identities, and the subjective nature of truth.
This is a captivating and unforgettable debut from a talented new voice in contemporary fiction.
Save this booklist for later!
Great Non-Fiction Picks for Mother-Daughter Relationships
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
Cheryl Strayed was only twenty-two when she felt she had lost everything after her mother’s death. Her family scattered, and her marriage fell apart.
Four years later, feeling that she had nothing left to lose, she made a spur-of-the-moment decision to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert in California to Oregon and Washington State on her own.
Although she had no experience as a long-distance hiker, the promise of piecing together her life was too tempting to resist. Despite facing rattlesnakes, bears, extreme heat, record snowfalls, and the beauty and loneliness of the trail, Strayed pushed on, ultimately leading to her healing.
Wild vividly captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman’s journey against all odds. A must-read – Strayed’s account of her journey is well-told with suspense, warmth, and humor.
Mom & Me & Mom by Maya Angelou
In this memoir, Maya Angelou reflected upon her life’s most personal story, her complex relationship with her mother, Vivian Baxter.
Despite Vivian’s petite stature, she had a seemingly indomitable spirit. Sadly her absence during much of Angelou’s childhood resulted when Vivian’s marriage deteriorated, and she sent her young children to live with their grandmother in Arkansas.
The abandonment affected Angelou for years, but the eventual reunion between mother and daughter sparked a new chapter in their shared story. Angelou recounts the difficulties and successes of their reconciliation, revealing the pivotal moments that transformed their relationship.
This book delves into one of Angelou’s most profound, complicated, and rewarding relationships, exploring the love and healing between the two women over their lifetimes. This love empowered Angelou to overcome immense struggles and achieve incredible heights.
Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein
This book shares fascinating insights into the influence of sexualized girlhood on our daughters that alarmingly begins in infancy. It dives deep into the misguided notion that appearance holds more value than character.
In modern times, pursuing physical perfection has been marketed as female empowerment, reaching younger audiences through commercialization. Peggy Orenstein sought to uncover the effects of this culture, visiting Disneyland and American Girl Place and speaking with parents of beauty-pageant preschoolers.
This girlie-girl culture poses a significant threat, from premature sexualization to increased rates of depression and narcissism. However, parents can combat these negative impacts by being mindful and informed, instilling values that outweigh the superficial messages promoted by this culture.
As a mother of a teen daughter, I need to read this!
Find Your Favorite Books About Mother-Daughter Relationships
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