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100 Must-Read Books About Complicated Mothers

"Mothers. We wouldn't be here without them. (Yet.) There is probably no more complex relationship than that of a mother and her children. Some people claim their mother to be their best friends, others haven't talked to their mothers in years. Some mothers left too soon, while others are way too meddlesome. Whether a mother is a saint, a monster, or something in between, here are 100 great books about complicated mothers, both real and imaginary"
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You Will Know Me (Megan Abbott)
You Will Know Me
1
Megan Abbott
Afterbirth (Elisa Albert)
Afterbirth
2
Elisa Albert
Bastard Out of Carolina (Dorothy Allison)
Bastard Out of Carolina
3
Dorothy Allison
Flowers in the Attic (V.C. Andrews)
Flowers in the Attic
4
V.C. Andrews
Mom & Me & Mom (Maya Angelou)
Mom & Me & Mom
5
Maya Angelou
The Middlesteins (Jami Attenberg)
The Middlesteins
6
Jami Attenberg
Seventh Book of Wonders (Julianna Baggott)
Seventh Book of Wonders
7
Julianna Baggott
The Incarnations (Susan Barker)
The Incarnations
8
Susan Barker
Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel
Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel
9
The Mothers (Brit Bennett)
The Mothers
10
Brit Bennett
Psycho (Robert Bloch)
Psycho
11
Robert Bloch
Tell the Wolves I'm Home (Carol Rifka Brunt)
Tell the Wolves I'm Home
12
Carol Rifka Brunt
Running With Scissors (Augusten Burroughs)
Running With Scissors
13
Augusten Burroughs
32 Candles (Ernessa T. Carter)
32 Candles
14
Ernessa T. Carter
A Land More Kind Than Home
A Land More Kind Than Home
15
The Daughters (Adrienne Celt)
The Daughters
16
Adrienne Celt
Follow Her Home (Steph Cha)
Follow Her Home
17
Steph Cha
The Manchurian Candidate (Richard Condon)
The Manchurian Candidate
18
Richard Condon
The Prince of Tides (Pat Conroy)
The Prince of Tides
19
Pat Conroy
All Families Are Psychotic (Douglas Coupland)
All Families Are Psychotic
20
Douglas Coupland
Mommie Dearest (Christina Crawford)
Mommie Dearest
21
Christina Crawford
Breath, Eyes, Memory (Edwidge Danticat)
Breath, Eyes, Memory
22
Edwidge Danticat
Here Comes the Sun (Nicole Dennis-Benn)
Here Comes the Sun
23
Nicole Dennis-Benn
Grace (Natashia Deón)
Grace
24
Natashia Deón
Blue Nights (Joan Didion)
Blue Nights
25
Joan Didion
The Good House (Tananarive Due)
The Good House
26
Tananarive Due
Geek Love (Katherine Dunn)
Geek Love
27
Katherine Dunn
Hausfrau (Jill Alexander Essbaum)
Hausfrau
28
Jill Alexander Essbaum
The Virgin Suicides (Jeffrey Eugenides)
The Virgin Suicides
29
Jeffrey Eugenides
This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance! (Jonathan Evison)
This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance!
30
Jonathan Evison
Postcards From the Edge (Carrie Fisher)
Postcards From the Edge
31
Carrie Fisher
White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
White Oleander
32
Janet Fitch
Sharp Objects (Gillian Flynn)
Sharp Objects
33
Gillian Flynn
The Ticking Is the Bomb (Nick Flynn)
The Ticking Is the Bomb
34
Nick Flynn
Coraline (Neil Gaiman)
Coraline
35
Neil Gaiman
A Mountain of Crumbs (Elena Gorokhova)
A Mountain of Crumbs
36
Elena Gorokhova
We Love You, Charlie Freeman (Kaitlyn Greenidge)
We Love You, Charlie Freeman
37
Kaitlyn Greenidge
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things (Bryn Greenwood)
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things
38
Bryn Greenwood
In the Country We Love (Diane Guerrero)
In the Country We Love
39
Diane Guerrero
Ordinary People (Judith Guest)
Ordinary People
40
Judith Guest
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