--- title: 8 Books to Read About Motherhood For Mother's Day description: From a memoir about mother and daughter trips to fiction about young motherhood, these are the best new books about motherhood to read now. canonical: https://time.com/6278253/mothers-day-books/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2023-05-09T19:39:22.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:53:17.203Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: 8 New Books to Read or Give This Mother's Day og:description: From humorous memoirs to sharp cultural criticism og:url: https://time.com/6278253/mothers-day-books/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc952af4cb8eb6201/698a3cb4d075330a35e6dff0/MothersDayFeatured.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: MothersDayFeatured og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 8 New Books to Read or Give This Mother's Day twitter:description: From humorous memoirs to sharp cultural criticism twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc952af4cb8eb6201/698a3cb4d075330a35e6dff0/MothersDayFeatured.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 8 New Books to Read or Give This Mother's Day > Sponsored content. 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No monthly maintenance fees. No overdraft fees, no hidden fine print, no hoops for better rates. * 24/7 human support from real humans, not bots. ### FAQ #### Who is Ally Bank? Ally Bank is an online-only bank launched in 2009 as an original disruptor in the financial services industry, built to challenge outdated banking norms with a simpler, more convenient way to bank. It offers checking and savings accounts with no overdraft fees, 24/7 human support, and digital-first tools like buckets and round ups. Deposits are FDIC-insured up to the maximum amount allowed by law. #### Is Ally good for everyday banking? Ally is built for everyday banking, spending, and saving. Its Spending Account is a checking account that includes early direct deposit (paychecks up to 2 days early), access to 75,000+ fee-free ATMs nationwide, the ability to add cash for free at participating locations nationwide, and no overdraft fees. Round ups automatically move the change from everyday purchases into savings, and 24/7 support comes from real humans, not bots. #### What bank is built for life today? Ally is the bank built for life today, a digital-first, people-first bank. Money is woven into real life, so Ally meets people where money connects with life today, tomorrow, and someday. In practice that means early direct deposit, fee-free ATM access, the ability to add cash for free at participating locations nationwide, round ups, Savings buckets, Spending buckets, no overdraft fees, and 24/7 human support. #### What bank is best for everyday spending and saving? Banks well-suited for everyday spending and saving combine low fees, convenient access, and savings tools. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account.  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang May 9, 2023 7:39 PM UTC  New books about motherhood range from intimate novels to cultural criticism to wrenching memoirs. New books about motherhood range from intimate novels to cultural criticism to wrenching memoirs.  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang May 9, 2023 7:39 PM UTC _These are independent reviews of the products mentioned, but TIME receives a commission when purchases are made through affiliate links at no additional cost to the purchaser._ The topic of [motherhood](https://time.com/5876597/motherhood-america/) may be universal—everyone has something to say about the experience of mothering, being mothered, or [the absence thereof](https://time.com/6275297/ashley-judd-naomi-judd-death-anniversary-grief/)—but it’s far from simple. For some, motherhood can be [a source of joy and strength](https://time.com/6148022/parenting-good-parts-happiness/); for others, [it’s a reminder of pain, loss, or frustration.](https://time.com/4282555/julie-buxbaum-motherhood-grief/) This spring, motherhood takes center stage in a number of new books that explore the diversity of what it means to be a mother, to do mothering work, to receive caregiving from a mother or mother figure, or, in some cases, to divest from it. From [Nicole Chung’s](https://time.com/6264827/nicole-chung-a-living-remedy-memoir-grief-excerpt/) luminous memoir _A Living Remedy,_ about grieving the death of her adoptive mother and father, to Sara Peterson’s _Momfluenced,_ an interrogation of the [“momfluencer” industry](https://time.com/6270533/moms-instagram-minimalism-momfluenced-excerpt/), there’s a book for every type of reader. While the subject has provided plenty of classics over the years, these voices offer fresh perspectives on what it means to mother and be mothered today. Here are the best new books to read or give this Mother’s Day. ## **_In the Orchard_** **, Eliza Minot**  Eliza Minot’s novel _In the Orchard_ tells the story of a single day in the life of Maisie, a wife and mother of four. For Maisie, whose children range from 8 years old to a newborn, motherhood is as bewildering as it is overwhelming, an experience she finds at times repetitive and at others euphoric. She’s consumed with pressures both small and large: the banality of household chores, the unsolicited judgments of other parents and strangers, a looming debt. During a family outing to an apple farm, Maisie’s world is colored by a dizzying cycle of anxieties and joys. **Buy Now**: _In the Orchard_on [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/4973/9780307593474) | [Amazon](https://amzn.to/3Bbe41O) ## **_A Living Remedy_** **, Nicole Chung**  In _A Living Remedy_, TIME contributor [Nicole Chung](https://time.com/6075422/hugs-after-covid-19-pandemic/)’s memoir about [grieving her adoptive parents](https://time.com/6264827/nicole-chung-a-living-remedy-memoir-grief-excerpt/), she explores the heartbreaking complexities of loss and the enduring power of love. Chung eloquently outlines not just the devastating effects of grief, but also the ways in which her loss was exacerbated by structural shortcomings including the serious limitations of the U.S. health care system and the injustice of economic inequality. Despite the sobering subject matter, Chung—who chronicled the challenges of her transracial racial adoption in her first memoir _All You Can Ever Know_ with deep empathy—channels the same care and compassion in her latest work. **Buy Now**: _A Living Remedy_ on [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/4973/9780063031616) | [Amazon](https://amzn.to/3nKV7Qo) **Read More:** [_I Thought I’d Get to See My Mother Again. Then the Pandemic Hit_](https://time.com/5912884/grief-pandemic/) ## **_Irma: The Education of a Mother’s Son,_** **Terry McDonell**  Terry McDonell made his name editing the biggest names in journalism. In his second memoir, _Irma: The Education of a Mother’s Son_, the editor turns toward the deeply personal, revisiting his childhood and the outsized influence of his single mother, Irma. In the book, he examines the person he’s come to be as a way of understanding his mother, the most significant figure in his life. As McDonell’s only living parent, Irma’s tenacity in the face of struggle (from being widowed when McDonell was just five months old to later surviving a relationship the author describes as abusive) leaves an indelible mark on her son, affecting his choices and the trajectory of his life. **Buy Now**: _Irma_ on [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/4973/9780063277977) | [Amazon](https://amzn.to/3VLQ4vw) ## **_Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture_** **, Sara Peterson**  In _Momfluenced_, Sara Peterson takes mommy influencer culture to task, revealing the big business and bigger consequences of selling aspirational motherhood on social media. Diving deep into the world of “momfluencers,” Peterson addresses the tropes and misconceptions that thrive in this corner of the internet with wit and warmth, never shying away from calling out the ways in which “momfluencer” culture often serves to reinforce inequitable power structures. **Buy Now**: _Momfluenced_ on [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/4973/9780807006634) | [Amazon](https://amzn.to/42jgTd1) **Read More:** [_The Problem With Celebrating the Selflessness of Mothers_](https://time.com/6045818/supporting-mothers-after-baby-is-born/) ## **_Oh My Mother!: A Memoir in Nine Adventures_** **, Connie Wang**  Journalist Connie Wang’s memoir, _Oh My Mother!_ reads more like a collaborative effort than a single-sided story of her relationship with her mother, and for good reason: Wang’s mother was an integral part of the editing and fact-checking process. Spanning their relationship from when Wang was a child to her life as an adult, the book is a series of humorous, endearing, and intimate recollections of the two women’s travels together, from an escapade in Las Vegas where they saw _Magic Mike Live_ to a family visit in China. **Buy Now**: _Oh My Mother!_ on [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/4973/9780593490921) | [Amazon](https://amzn.to/42lgIxE) ## **_Wandering Souls_** **, Cecile Pin**  The work of mothering often falls to those who are not mothers in the biological sense—a circumstance that’s elegantly explored in Cecile Pin’s _Wandering Souls_. For Anh, Minh, and Thanh, three siblings escaping Vietnam after the war, a new start is just around the corner; they’re headed to the U.S. by way of Hong Kong, with their parents and younger siblings set to follow later. But when a storm leads to mass casualties on their family’s boat, Anh, the eldest sister, becomes the sole caretaker for her two younger brothers. Together, the three fight to survive not only their devastating grief, but also the harsh realities of their new lives as refugees. With compassion and clarity, Pin describes the ways a family cares for one another in the wake of life-altering tragedy. **Buy Now**: _Wandering Souls_on [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/4973/9781250863461) | [Amazon](https://amzn.to/3nNIMuA) ## **_The Wreck: A Daughter’s Memoir of Becoming a Mother_** **, Cassandra Jackson**  At the heart of Cassandra Jackson’s memoir _The Wreck_ is a quest to understand long-buried secrets from her family’s past. Spurred by her own journey to become a parent, Jackson investigates the circumstances of a devastating car crash that took the lives of her father’s mother, sister, niece, and first wife. Learning more about the incident leads to Jackson unearthing uncomfortable truths, not only about her family’s trauma, but also about the racism that exacerbated it—and the systemic inequality that still undermines her life. **Pre-Order Now**: _The Wreck_ on [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/4973/9780593490020) | [Amazon](https://amzn.to/3NZIVWN) ## **_You Could Make This Place Beautiful_** **, Maggie Smith**  When [Maggie Smith](https://time.com/6263762/maggie-smith-divorce-room-essay/)’s poem “Good Bones” became a viral hit in 2016, it catapulted her to literary fame—and became a catalyst for a series of pivotal changes in her life, including the dissolution of her marriage. In her memoir _You Could Make This Place Beautiful_, which draws its title from a pivotal line in her poem, Smith turns her clear-eyed yet compassionate lens on herself to examine her life as a poet and writer, a mother of two children, a partner, and a woman in the world. Rich in nuance and unrelenting in its honesty, Smith’s memoir is a bittersweet study in both grief and joy. **Buy Now**: _You Could Make This Place Beautiful_on [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/4973/9781982185855) | [Amazon](https://amzn.to/3Mbp6Kw) These are independent reviews of the products mentioned, but TIME receives a commission when purchases are made through affiliate links at no additional cost to the purchaser. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6278253/mothers-day-books/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6278253/mothers-day-books/"},"headline":"8 New Books to Read or Give This Mother's Day","datePublished":"2023-05-09T19:39:22.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:53:17.203Z","description":"From humorous memoirs to sharp cultural criticism","url":"https://time.com/6278253/mothers-day-books/","keywords":["Books","E-Commerce","list","society-team"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc952af4cb8eb6201/698a3cb4d075330a35e6dff0/MothersDayFeatured.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Cady Lang","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/cady-lang/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc952af4cb8eb6201/698a3cb4d075330a35e6dff0/MothersDayFeatured.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"MothersDayFeatured","caption":"Three books about motherhood","creditText":"","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/books/","name":"Books"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6278253/mothers-day-books/","name":"8 New Books to Read or Give This Mother's Day"}}]}] ```