Five notable books about mothers

One title on the Barnes & Noble Review's list of five top books on mothers:

The Florist's Daughter
by Patricia Hampl

Hampl (A Romantic Education, Virgin Time) is an accomplished memoirist, as this volume, a reflection on the matter and meaning of parental attachment inspired by a vigil at her mother's deathbed, proves beyond a doubt. Happy families may be all alike, but each deserves a distinction as telling as this book.

Read about the other books on the list.

"Hampl is our purest memoirist," declares Robert Wilder. "In [The Florist’s Daughter], she effortlessly (and associatively) weaves the story of her parents, herself, St Paul, Fitzgerald, her father’s sadly wonderful floral business and the deep heart of America. Her work is like a rich tapestry: one can barely find any threads of structure or shape yet all of her stories and ideas blend beautifully."

Also see lists of the ten best fictional mothers, the ten worst mothers in fiction, Kate Saunders' critic's chart of mothers and daughters in literature, and Eleanor Birne's top ten books on motherhood.

--Marshal Zeringue