25 Mother-Daughter Books That Will Make You Want To Call Your Mom

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Mother-daughter relationships can be the strongest bonds. These titles—from memoirs, literary fiction, thrillers, and even a bit of science fiction—hold true to the sentiment that moms and maternal figures can solve just about anything. If you’re missing that motherly connection or want a dramatic family saga, try one of these books. And while you’re at it, pick up the phone and give your mother (or daughter) a call.

Regretting You by Colleen Hoover

Clara’s mother Morgan is the most predictable person on the planet. But Morgan has learned to be predictable, because her early life was anything but. After getting pregnant and married before graduating high school, she is determined not to let Clara make the same mistakes. Then a shocking accident reveals family truths that can’t be unheard. The two women deserve happiness, but is that in the cards? And as their relationship falls apart, can anything bring them back together? This novel was the inspiration for the movie by the same name that was just released in 2025. 

Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

Amy Tan has mastered the art of mother-daughter literature. In this fiction classic, there are four mothers with four daughters. The mothers have formed a mahjong group called the Joy Luck Club, where they share their experiences of emigrating from China to the United States. Their daughters have never heard the early history of how this band of women started their lives in a new country. Through storytelling, these eight women realize how much they share with one another. If you’ve already read this one, try The Bonesetter’s Daughter or The Kitchen God’s Wife.

Things I Wish I Told My Mother by Susan Patterson, Susan DiLallo, and James Patterson

This mother-daughter duo couldn’t be more different than one another. One is a nomad, and one is an organized perfectionist. Together they embark on a journey through Paris and begin to understand one another in a new light. Away from their own lives and exploring together, the two realize that despite their differences, they’re bonded for life. Things I Wish I Told My Mother a fictional story inspired by Susan Patterson and Susan DiLallo’s real-life experiences with their own mothers.

Heartwood by Amity Gaige

Valerie, an experienced hiker, goes missing on her latest journey. Stuck in the middle of the wilderness, she begins to write poems to her mother to help her keep going. This novel is a fast-paced journey to save a woman who feels stuck in time. In times of hardship, all you want is your mom. Even without cell service, Valerie’s mom is her emergency contact.

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

Charlotte gave birth to a baby girl, Willow, who is perfect in every way—except for the fact that her bones are so fragile they break under the smallest pressure. Charlotte loves Willow and will do anything to keep her alive and well, which leaves Amelia, Willow’s healthy older sister, in the shadows. But when Charlotte realizes she could have known about Willow’s condition before she was born, the entire family is faced with the question: would Willow still be here? It’s a dramatic and heart-wrenching story of a mother’s love and guilt.

The Space Between: A Memoir of Mother-Daughter Love at the End of Life by Virginia A. Simpson

As a bereavement specialist, Virginia’s entire life revolves around death and illness. But when her own mother becomes sick, her new role as a caregiver throws her. Mothers care for their daughters every day of their lives, but it can be uncomfortable when the tables turn. This memoir is the real and sometimes ugly truth of getting old and taking care of the ones you love.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

A mother’s protection is unceasing, but what if the person she’s protecting isn’t really her daughter? In this thriller, Hannah’s previous boyfriend isn’t who he says he is, but before he’s swept up in legal trouble, he asks Hannah to protect his daughter, Bailey. Hannah and Bailey are an unlikely pair forced together by one man’s mistakes. They learn about the person they thought they knew best and get to know one another along the wild journey. If you’re looking for more, read the sequel, The First Time I Saw Him. 

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Is there a better mother-daughter story than Little Women? Four daughters all with different dreams are raised by their strong mother, Marmee. In addition to Marmee, there’s Aunt March who serves as an even stronger willed maternal figure for the March sisters. It’s a beautiful perspective on the varied roles of women in society and families. This classic is perfect to read aloud to daughters and granddaughters. It’s also an excellent re-read.

Maame by Jessica George

Maddie’s life purpose seems to be caring for everyone but herself. Her mother is in Ghana while she takes care of her ailing father in London. When her mother returns, Maddie decides to rejoin society. She’s being social, having fun, and being young in a big city. Then tragedy hits, and Maddie is flung back into the world she so desperately wanted to escape. But through hardship, she has to face her mother and unravel the person she never really knew until now. 

Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand

When Vivian is struck and killed by a car, she leaves behind three children, a manuscript of her unfinished book, and a number of secrets. There’s a bit of fantasy in this novel as Vivian ascends to the Beyond, a purgatory of sorts, where she is guided by an angel figure named Martha. Martha grants Vivian three “nudges” to use in the real world below. Despite her lack of a physical presence on earth, Vivian is able to feel connected to her children, especially her daughter Willa. Though once her nudges run out, Vivian won’t be able to watch her family. Golden Girl tracks how a mother’s watchful eye never grows tired, and how even the person that held a family together must learn to let go. 

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Isn’t it weird that your parents had a whole life before you existed? That’s the central theme of this novel by Ann Patchett. Lara has three daughters who return home one summer and beg her to tell the story of her relationship with a famous actor at the theater company, Tom Lake. Through their mother’s story, the daughters examine their own relationships, including the ones they have with their mother. 

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Dr. Alice Howland is a professor at Harvard. She’s usually put together, but when her memory and mind start to slip, she receives the devastating diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer’s. While Alice’s decline affects her husband, John, it hits her daughter, Lydia, harder. Alice and Lydia rush to build a relationship before there’s no Alice left. It’s a heartbreaking novel about how love is never too late.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

Despite the low page count (192), there’s a lot to cover in this coming-of-age classic from Judy Blume. Margaret moves to a new town during a pivotal time in her life: puberty. She’s confronted with questions about her body, religion, and who she has a crush on. She turns to God to vent and to explore her faith—something she never thought about until now. With the help of her mother and grandmother, Margaret understands womanhood and how religion isn’t bound by what church you go to. It’s funny, poignant, and quirky tale of womanhood told in typical Judy Blume fashion.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

To some, going home is a relaxing retreat full of motherly love and too much food. For others, like Camille, it’s the beginning of her own horror movie. Camille’s mother is a hypochondriac and someone she’s distanced herself from. Now, as a reporter, Camille returns to her hometown to cover an unsolved murder while staying in her childhood home. To solve the crime, Camille must face her own family drama, which includes the complicated puzzle that is her mom. This thriller might make you want to call your own mom for different reasons.

One Italian Summer by Rebecca Searle

Katy and her mother Carol are set to travel to idyllic Positano for a mother-daughter trip. When Carol unexpectedly dies before the trip, Katy is left without a mom, a best friend, and a tour guide. Katy takes the trip alone but feels Carol’s spirit alongside her. When she comes across a magical apparition of younger version of her mother, Katy discovers the life of her mother before she ever knew her. 

Grown Women by Sarai Johnson

Three women from three generations band together to raise the fourth generation. They all see the world differently—one is a realist, one is a cynic, and the other isan eternal optimist. When the newest girl of the family is born, they decide to reconcile their tensions and care for this baby together. But their plan goes awry, causing the baby girl to grow up with three maternal figures and a desire to leave them all. This fictional family saga covers all four women on their journeys with motherhood and life after their shared baby leaves them.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Suburbia is for complacency and order, says Elena, the self-appointed organizer of her neighborhood. But when Mia and her daughter move into town, they don’t follow Elena’s rules. As Mia creates chaos throughout the town, Elena must put a stop to the drama once and for all. This is a gripping thriller that tests the strength of two mothers with very different lives. This bestseller served as the basis for the limited Hulu series of the same name starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington.

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells

When Sidda, a New York theatre director, insinuates that her mother Vivi was abusive and neglectful in a magazine interview, Vivi threatens to cut ties with her daughter entirely. As Sidda weathers the ensuing scandal in the Big Apple, Vivi consults with her close-knit friends, a group affectionately known as the Ya-Yas, in Louisiana. The Ya-Yas send Sidda a scrapbook of their early adventures to help her better appreciate—and possibly forgive—her mother. Their relationship hangs in the balance of mutual understanding, but is that possible?

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

Taking care of another living being already feels like an impossible task. Now, imagine having your parenting surveilled by the government? Frida, mother to Harriet, feels that the only good thing in her life is motherhood. But due to a single lapse of judgement, Frida’s title of “mother” could be taken away by government officials. In this work of fiction, parenting styles are put on trial and if they’re not deemed “good,” Frida would have to re-learn how to be a mother while her daughter is taken away. She tests the limits of how far a mother will go to stay united with her daughter. 

Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

Mothers are expected to have it all together. In this quirky novel, Bernadette, mother to her genius daughter Bee, does in fact have her life buttoned up — except for the fact that she’s agoraphobic. When Bee wins a trip to Antartica, Bernadette is faced with her fear: going outside. Bernadette decides to leave her safe life at home and disappears entirely. Now it’s up to Bee to find her runaway mom before their family trip, but what she finds on her search will leave her with more questions about the person she calls “mom.”

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

Kristin Hannah is no stranger to writing about mothers and daughters. In this historical-fiction novel, two sisters return home from their very different lives to say goodbye to their dying father. Their father is warm and friendly while their mother has always been cold and distant. Before he passes, however, he makes all the women promise to find connection. With that, the sisters are finally told the story of their mother from beginning to end. Through retelling the past, the sisters begin to understand the mother they could never seem to crack. 

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Michelle grew up under the critical eye of her Korean mother. Her life path as a musician, however, causes her to grow distant from her Korean heritage as well as her family. When her mother falls ill, Michelle is forced to face the memories of her childhood. This memoir shows how grief of an influential person, like a mom, can cause reflection and a new era of self-discovery. How can you reconnect with something you thought you left behind?

Anywhere But Here by Mona Simpson

Mothers tend to want the absolute best for their daughters, but in this novel, one mother takes it too far. Adele believes her daughter, Ann, is destined for stardom. The two escape their Midwestern home and drive to Los Angeles. Once they make it to Hollywood, they must learn to live with very little as they pursue fame and fortune. It’s a new narrative of the American dream and parental projection. This story might make you thank your own mother for allowing you to quit dance lessons.

Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi

Memory is a fickle thing. What is true and what is misremembered? In this novel, one mother’s memory loss causes a daughter to recollect on the past she doesn’t particularly want to think about. In a world where the young are supposed to care for their elders, how do you care for someone who never cared for you? As the pair of women reminisce on the past that led them to their current lives, they work to remember their history in tandem. 

The Red Thread by Ann Hood

Maya opens an adoption agency after her own daughter died in a freak accident. Her agency specializes in placing baby girls from China into American homes. With a dual perspective, this novel follows Maya managing her grief and facing the past while mothers in China are forced to give up their own daughters. It’s a story of heartbreak, family, and how a mother-daughter bond is never truly broken.