Eight recent novels to gift on Mother's Day

Still need inspiration for Mother’s Day this weekend? We have a plethora of suggestions for you to peruse that will appeal to all different types of fiction readers (who may or may not happen to be mothers). You can find even more gift suggestions here – including cookbooks, crime thrillers, science books, and more.


The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal

Elizabeth Macneal’s debut, The Doll Factory, is an intoxicating story of art, obsession and possession set against the backdrop of 19th-century London; the London of Dickens and Thackeray, Fagin and the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood, urchin pickpockets and streetwalkers. Readers who loved The Crimson Petal and the White will adore The Doll Factory.


The Sparkle Pages by Meg Bignell

Part Maggie Alderson, part Bridget Jones’s Diary, this quirky romantic comedy follows the life of Susannah Parks, a mother and wife of 15 years, who resolves to reignite her passion for life. Told in the form of a highly confidential diary, readers who enjoyed other sweet stories of self-discovery will be swept up in Susannah’s quest to rediscover that elusive ‘spark’.


Room for a Stranger by Melanie Cheng

Two unlikely housemates – an elderly woman and an international student – come together in this elegant and empathetic literary novel from award-winning Australia Day author Melanie Cheng. With rich characterisation and beautiful prose, this is a wonderful contemporary novel featuring a warm and diverse depiction of Australia.


The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion

The third and final instalment of Graeme Simsion’s beloved Rosie series came out earlier this year, and many readers have fallen in love with this heartwarming and hilarious finale, in which Don, Rosie and Hudson’s return to Melbourne precipitates all kinds of unforeseen adventures. For Don Tillman, geneticist and World’s Best Problem-Solver, learning to be a good parent as well as a good partner will require the help of friends old and new.


Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli

Valeria Luisell’s Lost Children Archive tells the story of two journeys; one a family on a road trip through the United States, the other a group of migrant children escaping from Mexico. It’s a breathtaking feat of literary virtuosity that our reviewer and Carlton bookseller Marie described as ‘a truly remarkable work’.


The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo

Yangsze Choo has crafted a beautifully lush historical mystery with just the faintest touch of magic realism in The Night Tiger. Set in 1930s colonial Malaya, The Night Tiger follows Ji Lin – an apprentice dressmaker who moonlights as a dancehall girl. Woven through with Chinese folklore, this is a page-turner that will keep any reader going all weekend.


Motherhood by Sheila Heti

Fans of Ottessa Moshfegh will enjoy this provocative and refreshingly direct look at one of the most compelling questions of early adulthood – whether or not to have children – from Sheila Heti. Straddling both essay and novel, this a wry and dynamic look at motherhood and parenthood.


Ordinary People by Diana Evans

Shortlisted for the 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction, Ordinary People follows two London couples at a moment of reckoning. Tackling questions of parenting, love and ageing, Ordinary People is a story of our lives, and the moments that threaten to unravel them.

Cover image for The Rosie Result

The Rosie Result

Graeme Simsion

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