Hurts Like a Mother

A collection of beautifully complicated stories for mothers and the people shaped by them

By Carin Hall

Motherhood in America is both idealized and invisible—sacred, yet constantly scrutinized. It can feel like a gift, a burden, a calling, a crisis—or all of these at once. In honor of Mother’s Day, I’m sharing a few of my favorite books that capture some of that complexity. This mix of fiction, nonfiction, memoir, and poetry lives on my shelf, thoroughly worn by dog-eared pages and highlighter ink. Whether you’re deep in the trenches of the fourth trimester, reflecting on your own mother, or questioning the societal structures that shape motherhood today, these powerful titles offer insight, solidarity, and, perhaps, a little catharsis.  

Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder
Now a film starring Amy Adams, I’m here to tell you the book is even better. Motherhood is feral in this surreal, darkly funny novel about a woman who may—or may not—be turning into a dog. Yoder’s protagonist, a once-ambitious artist now trapped in stay-at-home monotony, begins to sprout hair, grow fangs, and crave raw meat. Nightbitch is part satire, part primal scream, and part magical realism—a wild, unflinching metaphor for the animal instincts and identity crises that often accompany early motherhood. This book is my brain on motherhood. 

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
In this deeply moving memoir, indie rock musician Michelle Zauner (of Japanese Breakfast) explores grief, identity, and the mother-daughter bond through the lens of food. After her mother’s death, Zauner turns to the Korean dishes of her childhood for comfort and connection, navigating the pain of loss alongside the cultural roots that shape her. Raw, poetic, and tender, Crying in H Mart is a love letter to a mother gone too soon—and a testament to the healing power of heritage and memory. 

You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith
I’ve always said poets and songwriters make for the best novelists, and Zauner and Smith further prove this theory. Known for her viral poem “Good Bones,” Maggie Smith turns her lyrical clarity inward in this memoir about divorce, motherhood, and self-reclamation. Fragmented and intimate, her reflections move like a series of meditations, unraveling what it means to be a woman carving a new life after loss. 

Screaming on the Inside by Jessica Grose
Journalist and New York Times parenting columnist Jessica Grose dives into the deep contradictions of American motherhood. From pregnancy expectations to the postnatal pressures of being the “perfect” mom, Grose’s reporting reveals how broken our systems truly are—and how isolating it can feel to mother within them. Grounded in research and personal experience, Screaming on the Inside is both a critique and a call for change.