Mother's Day can be an emotionally fraught time for a lot of different reasons – if you dread this time of year, here’s a range of books that deal with some of the complex feelings that may arise, to help provide solidarity and comfort to those who need it.
For people who have lost their mothers…
Good Mourning
Imogen Carn & Sarah Douglas
Sally Douglas and Imogen Carn met in the wake of the sudden deaths of their respective mothers and Good Mourning has come from their experience navigating that grief.
This compassionate survival guide shines a light on the many ways grief can impact our lives. Along with expert advice from clinical psychologist Tamara Cavenett and warm words and insights from hundreds of others who've experienced grief, the authors offer practical tips on coping with isolation and loneliness, navigating grief at work, managing milestones and so much more.
Whether you're one month in or ten years down the track, Good Mourning will help you make sense of life after loss – and know that you're not alone.
For people who have endured unsuccessful fertility treatment…
Trying
Chloé Caldwell
Chloé Caldwell's memoir, Trying, is an intimate look at the author's experience going through fertility treatment and the fallout in her public and private lives.
By turns heartbreaking and hilarious, Trying confronts the irresolution and uncertainty of those denied their desire to become a mother and reveals how, even in the depths of grief, new pleasures and possibilities can be found.
For people who have lost a child…
Honey From the Ground
Soren Tae Smith
In Honey from the Ground, Soren Tae Smith reflects on her ongoing journey through profound grief and loss after the death of her son. She doesn't claim to have an answer to how to 'come to terms' with the loss of a child, but shares her attempts to keep going.
Written as a means of survival, Honey from the Ground resists categorisation, following instead the rhythms of lived time and memory.
For people who are struggling with new parenthood…
It Takes a Village
Peanut
It Takes a Village provides compassionate, practical insights on everything from trying to conceive, to the unpredictable journey of pregnancy, to giving birth, and everything that comes after. The online motherhood community, Peanut, has curated this supportive, uplifting guide, sharing knowledge from trusted experts including psychologists, gynaecologists, doulas, midwives and other parents, to help make the at-times daunting experience of new parenthood less isolating.
For people who experienced birth trauma…
Happy Face
Stephanie Carello & Annie Reid
Stephanie Carello experienced the trauma of full-term stillbirth, TFMR birth, and multiple miscarriages, as well as a cancer scare and a nervous breakdown. In her book Happy Face, she delves into the complexities of loss, the impact on family and relationships, and the slow path toward healing in a world that often views women’s birth experiences as trivial and taboo.
For people who are having a tough time…
How Will I Ever Get Through This?
Lucy Hone
Grief is not confined to bereavement, but society struggles to recognise living loss like divorce, illness, estrangement, redundancy, infertility or other life upheavals. In How Will I Ever Get Through This?, Lucy Hone draws on decades of resilience research, to guide readers from initial overwhelm to hopeful reengagement, leaving them more resilient, empowered and better equipped to face the future.
For people whose journey to parenthood was anything but straightforward…
Always You
Chloe Fisher, with Alley Pascoe
Businesswoman, podcast host, model, property developer and now author, Chloe Fisher appears to have a charmed life, but her memoir Always You reveals that her journey to motherhood was far from smooth. Alongside Fisher's personal story are breakout sections filled with guidance, reflections, and tools for anyone navigating fertility, grief or uncertainty.
For people who are mothering solo…
Inconceivable
Alexandra Collier
When Alexandra Collier found herself approaching 40 – single, heartbroken and living with her parents in Melbourne – she decided to embark on a journey to motherhood on her own terms. From defying her family's expectations to searching for sperm and navigating pregnancy alone, Inconceivable deftly takes us through the ecstatic, complicated and demanding path to solo motherhood by choice.
For people struggling to imagine a future for their child…
The Challenge of the Future
A. C. Grayling
With increasing dangers from geopolitical instability, war and the climate crisis that threaten to render developments either irrelevant or deadly, it's difficult to imagine an optimistic future for the next generation.
In The Challenge of the Future, A.C. Grayling invites us to consider what we wish to keep from the past and how that will help us decide how we might build a fairer, more equal and sustainable future.
For people who didn't really get to experience a childhood of their own…
Reparenting the Inner Child
Dr Nicole LePera
It difficult to find joy in the parent-child relationship when you didn't have a great model of it in your own childhood. Reparenting the Inner Child offers a clear, compassionate path to self-integration, combining practical exercises, somatic tools, and guided reflections to help us create the safety, love, and boundaries we've always needed.
For people who have suffered a miscarriage…
The Worst Girl Gang Ever
Bex Gunn & Laura Buckingham
Though rarely spoken about, pregnancy loss is painfully common, with an estimated 100,000 families in Australia affected by miscarriage annually. Drawing on the authors' personal experience as well as the knowledge of experts in the fields of grief, mindfulness, psychiatry and relationships, The Worst Girl Gang Ever is a practical and empathetic survival guide for anyone affected by miscarriage and pregnancy loss.
Not quite what you're looking for? Find more recommendations in last year's blog here.
