All My Mothers

By Joanna Glen,

Book cover of All My Mothers

Book description

'One of those rarest of books: so beautiful I almost couldn't bear it, and so moving I was reading through tears' STACEY HALLS

'Uniquely witty, beautifully observed, intricately woven' MIRANDA HART

'A truly glorious life-affirming book, in which love, hope and friendship trump sorrow' DINAH JEFFERIES

'Had me absolutely sobbing…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

2 authors picked All My Mothers as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Mother and daughter relationships are a theme that I love to read – and write! – about and Joanna Glen does this brilliantly in All My Mothers.

From childhood, Eva had a complex relationship with her own mother and is convinced that there is more to her story than she’s been told. Glen uses a children’s picture book as a motif to explore the many kinds of mothers that Eva meets in her life and it affected me quite profoundly.

What kind of mother am I? What kind of mother do children most need? The relationship that made me…

From Emma's list on family dramas to make you cry.

This book resonated with me because it explores relationships between women and reminds us that family can be found in the most unlikely of places. It’s one of those books that made me laugh and cry and stayed with me long after I’d finished it.

All My Mothers follows the story of a young girl who grows up wondering why her emotionally absent mother avoids her and why no one will answer any of her questions about her beginnings. Her journey of discovery spans decades and centres around the different women who shape her life.

There are many women who…

From Natasha's list on motherhood.

Want books like All My Mothers?

Our community of 11,000+ authors has personally recommended 43 books like All My Mothers.

Browse books like All My Mothers

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in soap opera, presidential biography, and opera?

Soap Opera 22 books
Opera 60 books