Conversations with Kav – Mothers in Fiction + Giveaway

Today seems like the perfect time to talk about our favourite fictional mothers. And I thought we could share childhood faves as well as mothers in our fictional reads.

Favourite Mothers in Children’s Books.

True story: I was raised in a very dysfunctional family. We were struggling immigrants and my mother suffered with what I know now to be an undiagnosed mental illness. So, not a lot of mothering going on in my house but I took solace in the storybook families I read about. In fact, books were my only experience with what a functional family actually looked like. I like to say I was raised by books and am so grateful to my public library’s extensive children’s collection that kept me immersed in imaginary worlds when my own was difficult to bear.

So, I have lots of favourite fictional mothers who played a part in raising me. I’ll try to corral my thoughts to just a few….

Mama from the All-of-a-Kind Family series by Sydney Taylor. These are sweet, simple family stories featuring five sisters at the turn of the century (early 1900s) in New York’s lower East Side. Mama is their anchor – especially when it comes to sharing their Jewish traditions and holidays. Interesting side note: These books were the first to depict traditional American Jewish life in children’s literature. A classic from the 1950s, the books have been reprinted multiple times over the decades but I love the original hardback illustrated copies that I managed to find at library sales over the years.

Mother from The Austin Family Chronicles by Madeleine L’Engle – 5 books starting with Meet the Austins starring Vicky Austin and her siblings. These are gritty, pre-teen/teenage angst kind of stories but with plenty of structured family life to fall back on. First published in the 1960s and reprinted countless times since then, parts can seem outdated (child discipline for one) but there’s something so comforting about this solid family working together to get through the tough stuff. I felt so terribly grown up reading these books! 🙂

Favourite Mothers in my Current Fiction

One author immediately springs to mind: Ruth Logan Herne. She writes kids and families with such truth and grace and humour. Her single mom heroines are independent and capable — no shrinking violets waiting to be rescued! And the way she writes the parenting aspects are spot on. No wonder since she has plenty of lived experience as a mother and grandmother. I always know I’m in for an emotionally satisfying read when I reach for one of her books.

Althea’s grandmother in Sweet Tea by Piper Huguley. Miss Ada steals every scene she’s in. I love that woman! Everyone needs a Miss Ada in their life, bossing them around and telling them what’s what and reminding them of where they come from and who God made them to be. I listened to the audio book but I need to get a print copy so I can underline a variety of Ada-ism to have on hand when I need a boost…or a shove!

Aleida in Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin. This was a colossal ugly cry read for me as it showcases the depths of a mother’s love as Aleida desperately searches for her missing son. It’s heart wrenching and hopeful and everything in between. Definitely a book hangover kind of read…and my favourite Sarah Sundin to date.

Okay, now it’s your turn. What comes to mind when you think of fictional mothers — both from your childhood reads and your ‘grown-up’ ones? Share in a comment below to be entered to win a $10 Baker Book House gift card.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday May 17 2025

41 thoughts on “Conversations with Kav – Mothers in Fiction + Giveaway”

  2. Love the fictional moms. It shows them somewhat as super woman who can do anything and fights off evil. They’re loving, kind and always there. Face it, no one wants to read about the rough spots, the failures because they are human or flawed, or having the need financially means they often aren’t there but at the job that brings in the money. To me, it would have to be the one in a million story that is so good the reader accepts the less than perfect side of motherhood. Think we all see parts of what we wish mothers were or what we aspire to be in the stories we read. If one uses books to escape, like we all have at times, the last thing you want is to be brought down by the negative parts of motherhood. So, I say to the writers – Keep doing what you do so well!

    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  3. Took me years to understand that my mother also had a undiagnosed mental illness add to that 3 adult who were alcoholics. I think somewhere in our minds we learn how to survive and thrive in our own way. I enjoy suspense books more since it’s always a guess as to how it will end.

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    1. Yes, kids from those kinds of conditions have to be resilient and there’s so many different coping strategies. I’m glad mine was the library. I was trying to think of a stand out mom heroine in a suspense novel but nothing came quickly to mind, but I know I’ve read some. I’ll keep thinking. Good luck, Kim!

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      1. I don’t know if you ever read Where the crawdads sing but it’s a book I love because I can relate to the character..

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  4. I always, in my earlier years and still today (since I own the book), appreciated the Little Women story. Lauraine Snelling’s early Red River series has strong, nuturing, and very memorable mothers.

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    1. I thought of Marmee too but was sure someone would mention her and, ta da!, I was right! I don’t think I’ve read anything by Lauraine Snelling. Must check into that series. Good luck, CC!

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  5. Marcy – the mother in the Daughters of Boston series by Julie Lessman

    Grandma “Punk” – The Light on Horn Island by Valerie Fraser Luesse

    Maeve – Boundless (3 part series) by Amy Caldwell

    Marnie- the mom in  Suzanne Woods Fisher’s Cape Cod Creamery series

    Maggie Muir – Autumn by the Sea

    Happy Mother’s Day! 🌷💜🌷

    dianalflowers at aol dot com

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      1. Oooohhh, yes, Marcy!!!! How could I forget the Daughters of Boston series? And Maggie Muir is a great choice to. I still haven’t read the third book…the wedding one and it’s been on my TBR an age. What am I thinking?! I think I’d like Grandma Punk just because of her name! I haven’t read the Boundless or Cape Code Creamery series so you’re adding to my TBR again! Good luck, Diane!

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      2. Tracey may remember “Punk’s” real name. I have the book, but I feel like it would be hard to find. Everyone called her Punk. She is a hoot, but has so much wisdom & spiritual insight. What a great book! And Suzanne Woods Fisher’s books are always good. I would definitely read The Cape Cod Creamery series in order as well as the Boundless series by Amy Caldwell.

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  6. Not a traditional mother role, but Clara Kip in The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip. She just had so much to give of herself and her experiences in life! My Mom had her issues, too…..not always good.

    perrianne (DOT) askew (AT) me (DOT) com

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      1. Thank you! I forgot to wish you Happy Mother’s Day, but I’m glad to hear that you had a wonderful time at the tea room. That sounds like fun!

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  7. I loved All of a Kind Family as well. I actually read it aloud to my mom. My mom instilled a love for reading in me at a young age! I would also like to point out the Baker Family Adventures by C.R. Hedgcock. She wrote the first book as a teen and continued writing the series as she became an adult. They are excellent and show what a functional Christian family should look like. While the intended audience is teen/young adult, I think anyone would enjoy them. I actually read the first two aloud to my dad haha. It’s interesting to note that there are not a lot of fictional moms. It seems like every fictional hero’s backstory includes a momless life (which for many feels relatable). I’m truly blessed to have the parents I do who love God and have a healthy functional marriage. But the one I can think of is Michael Phillips’s Secret of the Rose Series. Sabrina’s mother is a wonderful Christian character.

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    1. Oh, wow! I never met anyone else who had read All of a Kind Family! How cool! The love of reading is a wonderful legacy for a mom to pass on to her daughter. The Baker Family Adventures sounds like just the type of books I would have loved as a preteen. And sounds like they are mysteries too. I’ll have to see if I can find a copy or two and give them a try. Hmmm…Michael Phillips keeps popping up in these Sunday conversations no matter the topic — think that’s a hint that I should start reading him! Good luck, Rebecca!

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  8. I absolutely loved all the All-of-a-Kind-Family books. I checked those out so many times as a kid. I’ve been trying to get library hard copies for my keeper shelves. 🙂 One fictional mother that sticks out to me is from a story I read to my own children for many bedtimes – Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara Joosse. It is all about a mom’s unconditional love.

    Wishing all of you a very blessed Mother’s Day. Thanks for the lovely post, Kav.

    momrain(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Yay! Another All-of-a-Kind-Family fan! Isn’t it fun to find the right editions for our collections? Mama, Do You Love Me? is a classic Canadian picture book! Love that it’s a favourite in your family. Good luck, Loraine!

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  9. One of the ones I was going to say is Punk Cheramie, Edie’s grandma in The Light on Horn Island like Diane mentioned 🙂

    My favorite mom is Ingrid, from the Christiansen series, love her and all her wisdom for Darek, Eden, Grace, Casper and Owen.

    Another favorite of Susan Warren is widowed Gerri, of the Montana Marshals, mom to Knox, Tate, Ford, Wyatt and Ruby Jane.

    Happy Mother’s Day Kav and to all the Best Readers too! tracey14567 atgmail dotcom

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    1. Susan May Warren does an excellent job writing families and I love that she writes strong, involved mothers and I especially love the way the sons dote on them. Happy sigh.

      Happy Mother’s Day, Tracey. Had a packed day — we had a ‘Preach for the Call’ service this morning at church — hopefully the end of our year long search for a new pastor. Then we had to vote and chat and I rushed home in time for my daughter to take me out to a new florists/tearoom/cafe. Totally innovative idea! Cute name too — Flowers and Flavours – tons of plants and cut flowers and cute plant decor items and really interesting drinks and decadent desserts. Wouldn’t that make a great setting for a series?! Good luck, Tracey!

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      1. Oh I love tea rooms and Flowers and Flavors is an absolutely perfect name! I wish someone would write a book about a tea room. So glad you had a happy full day! ☕🍰📚👨‍👩‍👧‍👦🌷💗

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  10. Sarah Sundin’s portrayal of a mother in Aleida was excellent. I love reading about mothers who fight – they are not perfect, but you know they’d risk everything for their kids. Another that comes to mind is Janette’s Oke’s Too Long a Stranger. It’s a little depressing, but here we have another mother who gave up so much for her daughter. A true embodiment of sacrifice.

    kathrynlvossATgmailDOTcom

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    1. And the heartbreaking decisions mothers were forced to make during that war…and all wars, really. So gut wrenching! I haven’t read many of Janette Oke’s books, I’ll check my church library and see if they have Too Long a Stranger or my public library might have a copy. Sounds like I should pair it up with a lighted-hearted rom/com audio book so that I can balance out the angst. Good luck, Kathryn!

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  11. I have been blessed with a wonderful mother, and am so thankful she is still with us. In fact today (Mother’s Day) is actually her 80th birthday! We took her out last night for dinner, and will get together again this evening to celebrate her.

    I am listening to the book Miranda Warning by Heather Day Gilbert right now. Because I am listening to the book I can’t pick it up to check the name, but her mother in law in the book is wonderful!

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      1. I actually got a copy of Miranda Warning from the narrator. It took me a bit to get into, but now I am definitely curious about the mystery!

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    1. Hmmm….that’s kind of a deep thought. What a great perspective — fictional mothers being a way to enrich our real life relationships with our mothers. Good luck, Caryl!

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  13. Kav, I’m sure sorry for the difficult family experience you had. I was super blessed to have had a wonderful mother. Not perfect, of course, but so faithful and good. I see others have mentioned Marmee from Little Women and she’s the one that came to mind for me too. Happy Mother’s Day to all!

    ckbarker at gmail dot com

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    1. Such a blessing to have a faith-filled mother! And, yes, Marmee is likely on top of most of our lists. I hear there’s a whole book out about her now. Just checked and it’s called Marmee and my library has a copy so I put it on hold. 🙂 This is me going down bookish rabbit trails, forever adding more books to my TBR! lol Good luck, Cheryl!

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  14. From childhood reads, Ma from Little House on the Prairie, Marmee from Little Women, Marilla from Anne of Green Gables. Then from more recent adult reads, Marty from Love Comes Softly, Rose from Melanie Dickerson’s Hagenheim series (after the first book, she’s the mother of most of the main characters from the following books😉) and Abigail and Mary from The Russell‘s series by Lynne Basham Tagawa!

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    1. Ma Ingalls! How could I forget about her?! Yes, she was a staple in my childhood as well. Love that you include Manilla who is very much a mother figure despite refusing to allow Anne to call her “Mother’. Interesting choice with the Hagenheim series…I can see my copies sitting on the shelf in front of me. Such pretty books and fun stories. Interesting time period for the Russell’s series and Lynne Basham Tagawa is a new to me author. Going on my want to read list with the bazillion other titles on there! Good luck, Elly!

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  15. I was truly blessed to have a wonderful mother. I have 8 siblings, and we all get along well together. My mother has been gone for several years now, and I miss her a lot and remember the compassionate, caring person she was. She was always doing things for others.

    Thanks to everyone for all of the suggestions and reminders of great book mothers!

    whthomas13 at yahoo dot com

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  17. I can’t help but think of Mrs. Bennett in Pride & Prejudice. She was quite a character. Thanks for the giveaway!

    Jolene – iwant2save34 at gmail dot com

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