Book Suggestions for Mums - The Willoughby Book Club

Book Suggestions for Mums

Motherhood: All love begins and ends there.

Robert Browning

Mother’s Day is  almost here, and we’re excited to shout about the lovely mums in our lives! We all know one day will never be enough to beam and gloat about our favourite women, but it does give us the opportunity to treat them in the best way we know how: books!
So, how about foregoing the chocolates this year and opting for an interesting read instead?
We’ve compiled a varied list of books that mothers of all tastes will enjoy, so read on for some curated gifting inspiration.
 

Fiction

 

The Puzzle Wood by Rosie Andrews


You can’t go wrong with an historical mystery. This plotty and atmospheric new novel from Rosie Andrews ticks all the boxes you need from such a book: a remote, old abbey, gothic vibes, and twists aplenty. When Catherine Symonds arrives at Locksley Abbey to work as governess for a family, she has ulterior motives. Why did her sister seemingly take her own life at the Abbey? And how do the other characters fit into the puzzle?
If your Mum enjoys creepy, evocative tales, consider this new one for their Mother’s Day treat.

 


Three Days in June by Anne Tyler

 
Anne Tyler is prolific as she is perfect a writer. No one writes relationships, be they familial, romantic (or both!) like her. And Three Days in June is no exception. Set the day before a wedding, family secrets and domestic drama make for an emotional and heartwarming yarn, which is also very funny. It has characters to root for and inevitably a plot that will envelop the reader in a big, warm hug.




Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon by Mizuki Tsujimura (translated by Yuki Tejima)


This magic realist novel follows the original and enchanting story of the ‘Go-Between’, an unlikely medium who is able to transport the dead back to the land of the living for just one night.
Made up of five interconnected short stories, this is an equally gripping and moving novella, possessing that original, whimsical touch that Japanese literature is known for.
 





Non-Fiction


Fulvia: The Woman Who Broke All the Rules in Ancient Rome by Jane Draycott


If you know a feminist mother with a penchant for classical history, Draycott’s 2025 ‘Fulvia’ would be an ideal gift for them. Extensively researched, this is a rip-roaring account of one of Ancient Rome’s most formidable women characters, who was vilified and smeared by her male contemporaries, during the period in which Rome was transitioning from a republic to the dictatorship of the Roman Empire.
It also does a fantastic job of looking at the role of Roman women in a wider context, shedding much-needed light on a period of history dominated by violent men. Perfect for any history buffs!

Maternity Service: A Love Letter to Mothers from the Front Line of Maternity Leave by Emma Barnett


The ideal companion for a new mum, this frank and warm collection of letters, written by Emma Barnett as she embarks upon the daunting and oft-misunderstood time of maternity leave, explores topics such as the highs and lows of this important time and the impact on our minds, relationships and bodies.
This is an advice-free zone, but Barnett’s refreshing honesty and insights into motherhood are bound to offer much-needed comfort and reassurance to any new mums!


 

Rural Hours: The Country Lives of Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Townsend Warner and Rosamond Lehmann by Harriet Baker

 
When we stumbled across this brand-new title from Penguin, we immediately thought of Willoughby captain, Marianne, who loves a Sylvia Townsend Warner book and also loves a book focused on the natural world.
This literary biography traces the lives of these three highly regarded writers of the twentieth century and how their time spent in the countryside shaped their work, looking at everything from their sexual and political awakenings to their paths to convalescence and recovery.
This book would be perfect for anyone who loves a beautifully written biography, nature writing, or anything on the magic of the creative writing process!

Interested in any of these titles?

Let us know of any other Mum-perfect books we should be reading!

 

A Thoughtful Mother’s Day Gift

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