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Historical fiction about motherhood takes readers into physically dangerous, socially risky, and emotionally rich territory. The bond between a mother and child is so strong and complicated that there is much to explore through novels. But the patriarchy that most mothers lived under in the past creates tension with the sensibilities of the contemporary reader. And as women and mothers have less bodily autonomy, respect, and choices in our current political climate, these themes from the past will only become more relevant — and, therefore, more prevalent in historical fiction written today.
But in the past and today, motherhood is not just about sacrifice and loss. There is so much gained through the experience as well. Purpose. Entertainment. Love. And an incredible resolution to survive. The three novels below are set in different times and places, but each of them contains all of these elements. And all are testaments to motherhood being both beautiful and complicated. So if you are interested in reading historical fiction about motherhood, here are three very different novels that explore the topic with nuance.
Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung
Before the Communist Revolution, the Yangs are a wealthy, land-owning family in the Chinese countryside. Their biggest worry is having four daughters and no male heir. But in 1948, everything changes. Civil war takes over China, and the family leaves behind the mother Chiang-Yue and her daughters — considering them worthless girls. They go through unimaginable horrors before escaping on a winding journey to Taiwan. The book is beautifully narrated by the oldest daughter, Hai. It’s a story about motherhood and daughterhood against the chaos, tumult, and fast-paced change of this period in history.
The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson
The main characters of this book are two driven and determined young Black women who face the consequences of unplanned pregnancies. Ruby is just a high school girl with dreams of becoming a doctor and becoming the first woman in her family to go to college. Eleanor is a student at Howard University working at the archives. Both fall in love and become pregnant. But they make very different choices on how to proceed, which puts each young woman on a very different path (although their stories do intersect by the end of the book). This book delves into themes of colorism, young love, and the tension between motherhood and personal ambition.
Away by Amy Bloom
This book came out almost 20 years ago, but I’ve reread it twice and thought about it a lot since becoming a mother myself last year. Lillian believes her family has all been killed in a Russian pogrom and moves to America as the sole survivor. But when she finds out that her daughter might still be alive, Lillian will do anything to get across the country and find little Sophie. The longing of Lillian is something that sticks with me years after reading this book for the first time. First, there’s a longing to survive what seems unsurvivable. And then the longing to be reunited with her child. It’s a beautiful book you won’t be able to forget once you read it.
Past Tense
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Happy (belated) Mother’s Day if you celebrated last weekend! Whether you are a mother or not, I hope you check out one of these expansive and thought-provoking books of historical fiction about motherhood. And if you are looking for more to read, take a look at this list of historical fiction about little-known history, or this list of novels about motherhood and family.