Mothers In books!

Happy Mothers Day weekend everyone! Whether you are celebrating your mom or celebrating being one – I hope you have a great weekend!

While I was preparing for this post I realized something……. let’s face it – Mothers in books are REALLY hard to come by! I stood in front of my shelves and shook my head at the lack of mothers (especially supportive ones) in books. So many tropes where the parents just aren’t around, they aren’t the main focus, the character has been orphaned, or the mother has passed away and they are being raised by their father. There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with these situations but they seem to be overused. I would love to have more books with supportive parents in the picture!!

Having said that, I did manage to find a few books with some pretty amazing mothers. They don’t come close to being as fantastic as my mom (happy mothers day mom!), but they’re still pretty great 🙂

The first mother I would like to mention is from my most recent read – The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas. Starr’s parents were just spectacular in this book! Both her mom and dad were so supportive and there for her every step of the way. The way Angie Thomas writes her characters is beyond compare. When some authors write a character they seem very one dimensional. But her mother was so real and complete. She was hard working, willing to do anything for her kids and family, tough and willing to take a stand yet soft, supportive and knows when to back down. She wasn’t perfect – she made mistakes. But she owned them and worked harder to get to where she needed to be. She knew when her family needed her and was there just in time with her support. She was kind, funny, and fierce. Honestly the best written mother I’ve come across in a book yet!

So we get a two for one special with Whitney Gardner’s You’re Welcome Universe!! There wasn’t only a mother in this book but the main character had two mothers! Just like in THUG, both mothers were constantly present throughout this book. Yes her parents were both women but Whitney Gardner showcased the dynamic of parenthood perfectly! Both of her moms had very different personalities and styles of motherhood. Each played different roles in Julia’s life showing the complexities of the parent/child relationship. On top of all that the women were of different nationalities adding even more depth to how the main character grew as a person. This book was so real, diverse, and just a great read!!

Though Blue’s mother wasn’t always there throughout this series, and she was FAR from the most conventional mother, she was still a mom that I loved. She was a bit strange and flighty at times, but she was still very supportive of Blue in her life. She had psychic powers so she was able to direct her daughter in ways that a normal mother could’t, but that also posed some problems for their relationship. But when Blue’s mother couldn’t be there, Blue lived in a house full of women who gladly filled in the role in their own special way. She basically had a house full of women who could step in and offer help in every different situation. She was warm and compassionate while also staying real and modern. As I’ve already mentioned, she was not conventional in her mothering ways, but that’s what made her an interesting perspective to read from!

Though Miss Alma Peregrine wasn’t technically the mother of the children she cared for, she was a mother to them just the same. And she was fierce! The lengths that this woman would go to to protect the children in her care knew no end. Caring for these children would be a difficult thing. Everyone in her loop had different powers so managing those powers, resetting the loop, dealing with outside forces trying to harm them, and handling the same day repeating itself would have been a task that could crumble some people. But Miss Peregrine stood strong and cared for her children as best as she could.

Probably my most unconventional choice lol! And also my only “not safe for children and some teens” choice! This poor girl never really had the chance to be a mother due to the fact that there was a war happening and they were on the run. She had the capability to be a great mother but never really had the chance. But her badassery and determination is something to admire! She never stopped fighting for her family and her right to be a mother.

So there it is! My ode to mothers everywhere. Are there any moms in books that you loved and would like to mention? I hope you have an amazing weekend!

Until next time, happy reading!