4 Great Books on Mother-Daughter Relationships You Must Read

This four books will take you through the variant shades of mother-daughter relationships. A must read for book-lovers.

These four books will take you through the variant shades of mother-daughter relationships. A must read for book-lovers.

The role of a mother in a daughter’s life is pretty unstated. Unlike the moniker ‘Daddy’s Little Girl’, no catchphrases exist to simplify their tangled relationships with their daughters.

Thankfully, here are a few books on mother-daughter bonds that you must read:

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

Ingrid is a complex, icy woman and  a famous poet. She murders a lover who dares to jilt her. The story is narrated by Astrid, from age 12 onwards as she weaves through the labyrinth of foster care parents.

Her mother’s brutality and poise both enrapture Astrid as she moves through other mother figures – the ex-stripper whose lover she steals despite her mother’s warnings, the shrew  who starves her, the resplendent whore across the street, and the fragile, suicidal Claire – the mother she wants but can’t have.

Though this book is dark, the evocative writing of Janet Fitch brings this book to life.

This is a book for those who love the written word and the complexity of interpersonal relationships.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

For those who loved The Gone Girl – I recommend Sharp Objects another menacing, it’s not what you think thriller from the stable of Gillian Flynn.

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Not completely centered around mother-daughter relationships, it still paints an interesting, complex relationship between the protagonist and her mother.

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells

Unlike the above two recommendations, this book is a saccharine read on the bonding between a southern mother and her daughter as they overcome dysfunctional relationships to set on the path of forgiveness.

I didn’t love the characters, but you are sure to recognize a bit of yourself and your mother in them.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

Amy Tan is one of my favorite cross-over novelists. The Joy Luck Club traces the story of 4 sets of mothers and daughters.

This is a poignant, personal book that covers the journeys that mothers and daughters take together.

As they despair or take pride – the reader navigates through a mother’s journey and her challenges as she struggles to bring up her daughter in a culture far from home.

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About the Author

Ayushi Mona

Ayushi Mona co-leads Broke Bibliophiles Bombay Chapter, India's first offline reader driven community. She is a poet and writer who evangelizes Indian writing in English at the India Booked podcast and has also read more...

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