Mother’s Day isn’t everyone’s favorite holiday. For some, it’s bittersweet. For others, just bitter. Whether you’re avoiding pastel greeting cards or skipping the family brunch, this list is for those who crave something darker than a bouquet of roses. Here are thirteen haunting, heartbreaking, and beautifully unsettling books about mothers, motherhood, and the many ways families can break—or survive.
The Push by Ashley Audrain
A mother suspects something is very wrong with her daughter—but no one believes her. As her marriage crumbles and a second child is born, the lines between love and fear blur. A chilling psychological drama about generational trauma and maternal instinct.
The Nursery by Szilvia Molnar
Claustrophobic and haunting, this book captures the raw edges of postpartum depression. A new mother, overwhelmed by the relentless demands of care, finds solace in a fragile connection with her elderly neighbor. But isolation—and something darker—lingers.
The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan
One bad day sends Frida Liu into a dystopian nightmare: a government-run facility designed to test whether she’s a “good enough” mother. Think The Handmaid’s Tale meets modern parenting surveillance.
Fight Night by Miriam Toews
Told through the vibrant voice of nine-year-old Swiv, this novel is part coming-of-age, part survival manifesto. Three generations of women live, love, and fight under one Toronto roof.
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
A memoir of grief, food, and identity, Zauner reflects on her Korean mother’s death and the cultural legacy she left behind. Beautiful, gutting, and unforgettable.
The Need by Helen Phillips
When a masked intruder enters her home, a mother is forced to confront everything she fears about parenting, existence, and herself. A surreal, terrifying journey through the dualities of motherhood.
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
After her mother’s suicide attempt, Gifty—a neuroscientist studying addiction—must confront her family’s past. A profound exploration of science, faith, and inherited pain.
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
A riveting nonfiction account of a Colorado family with twelve children—six of whom were diagnosed with schizophrenia. A devastating portrait of mental illness, motherhood, and resilience.
The Upstairs House by Julia Fine
A woman recovering from childbirth starts seeing the ghost of Goodnight Moon author Margaret Wise Brown. Is it madness, grief, or something worse? A spectral postpartum descent.
Territory of Light by Yuko Tsushima
In luminous prose, Tsushima explores a year in the life of a recently separated mother in Tokyo. As she tries to rebuild, shadows of loneliness and anger creep in.
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
In 1980s Glasgow, young Shuggie clings to hope while caring for his alcoholic mother. A brutal yet tender tale of loyalty, poverty, and survival.
Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder
A stay-at-home mom believes she’s turning into a dog—literally. Wild, visceral, and weird in the best way, this book captures the feral, frustrated heart of modern motherhood.
