To celebrate Mother’s Day, I’ve compiled a list of books with motherly characters who are either mothers or act in a motherly role to the main character. These mothers often helped shape the characters or world in these books, changing them for good. What a legacy!
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Who doesn’t love Mrs. Weasley? Besides taking care of her rambunctious seven children and a law-bending husband, Mrs. Weasley brings in the orphan Harry and showers him with love. I definitely see some of my own mother in her!
- Ella Enchanted: Although Mandy is ‘just’ the cook serving in Ella’s family home, she becomes much more than that when Ella’s mother dies. She becomes a friend, confidant, and second mother to Ella. And one who can work magic!
3. Little Women: The mother the young women call ‘Marmie’ definitely deserves to be honored on Mother’s Day! She raises four girls by herself while her husband’s off fighting. She instills in them lessons of kindness, humility, and love that remain with them long after they grow up.
4. The Island of Sea Women: I can’t even imagine what the women in this adult fiction novel go through! They dive in the sea all day, gathering food for their family and then take care of their children and chores when they return. Some of the women even gave birth in the water or on boats and tied up their babies to the boats while they swam and worked. What makes these women even more incredible is that this book’s based off true events!
5. Divergent: Tris’s mom is someone to look up to: she’s sacrificial and brave. At the end of this book, she sacrifices everything for her daughter and the good of their world and remains a role model for Tris throughout the series.
6. Snow Like Ashes: Meira’s mother gave everything to protect her people and kingdom. And though Meira struggles with anger at her mother, I respect her for the choices she had to make in difficult circumstances.
7. The Rithmatist: Confession–I haven’t actually read this YA fantasy book yet, but my husband says the main character, Joel, felt comfortable talking to his mother and she supported him. This kind of deep, realistic bond between a mother and her child(ren) is sadly lacking in many YA books (so are mothers, unfortunately).
8. The Search for WondLa: Although just a robot and a bit annoying at times in this children’s sci-fi novel, Eva Nine’s mother goes above and beyond her programmed duty to protect Eva from harm. I ended up respecting and admiring her at the end of the book.
What books have you read with strong mother characters? What did you like about them?
