Motherhood Life

In this irresistible memoir, the New York Times best-selling author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize Anna Quindlen writes about looking back and ahead - and celebrating it all - as she considers marriage, girlfriends, our mothers, faith, loss, all the stuff in our closets, and more. Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake is filled with the sharp insights and revealing observations that have long confirmed Quindlen’s status as America’s laureate of real life.

Tired of feeling like you're constantly one meltdown away from losing it with your kids? Do you snap, yell, or shut down—then feel crushed by guilt minutes later? Have you tried “calm down” techniques that just don’t work in the middle of real-life mom chaos? You’re not a bad mom. You’re a burned-out one. Let’s be real. You didn’t expect motherhood to feel this overwhelming. You thought love and patience would come naturally. Instead, you're juggling a mental load no one sees, being pulled in a million directions, and holding in years of unprocessed anger because “good moms don’t get mad.”

Iranian-American multimillionaires Ali and Homa Milani have it all—a McMansion in the hills of Los Angeles, a microwaveable snack empire, and four spirited daughters. There’s Violet, the big-hearted aspiring model; Roxanna, the chaotic influencer; Mina, the chronically-online overachiever; and the impressionable health fanatic Haylee. On the verge of landing their own reality TV show, the Milanis realize their deepest secrets are about to be dragged out into the open before the cameras even roll.

When Charlotte McKay wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there, all she wants is to go back to the perfect London flat she shares with her husband, and the impressive career she’s worked so hard to build. But something’s not right. Her husband David is at her bedside - but so is a three-year-old girl, and she’s calling Charlotte "Mummy"....

Nina Restieri was a wife, a mom of four young kids, and a successful entrepreneur. Despite having what most people would consider “it all”, happiness eluded her. She beat herself up daily for not being grateful. But as she looked around, she realized most of the moms she knew shared that same sense of sadness, stress, and feeling of being overwhelmed, all while working hard to keep up the “perfect mom” appearance.

You'll learn how your mom affected you as a child and may still be affecting you today. Our Mothers, Ourselves is a biblical, realistic, and empowering route to wholeness and growth, to deeper and more satisfying bonds with your family, friends, and spouse - and to a new, healthier way of relating to your mother.

When Susan Tate's seventeen-year-old daughter, Lily, announces she is pregnant, Susan is stunned. A single mother, she has struggled to do everything right. She sees the pregnancy as an unimaginable tragedy for both Lily and herself. Then comes word of two more pregnancies among high school juniors who happen to be Lily's best friends-and the town turns to talk of a pact. As fingers start pointing, the most ardent criticism is directed at Susan. As principal of the high school, she has always been held up as a role model of hard work and core values.

Disillusioned with overly competitive organized sports and concerned about her lively daughter’s growing shyness, author Angie Abdou sets herself a challenge: to hike a peak a week over the summer holidays with Katie. They will bond in nature and discover the glories of outdoor activity. What could go wrong? Well, among other things, it turns out that Angie loves hiking but Katie doesn’t. Hilarious, poignant, and deeply felt, This One Wild Life explores parenting and marriage in a summer of unexpected outcomes and growth for both mother and daughter.

Annie Lewin is at the end of her rope. She’s a mother of three young children, her workaholic husband is never around, and the vicious competition for spots in New York City’s kindergartens is heating up. A New York Times journalist-turned-parenting-advice-columnist for an internet start-up, Annie can’t help but judge the insanity of it all—even as she finds herself going to impossible lengths to secure the best spot for her own son.

For Emilia Greenleaf, life is by turns a comedy of errors and an emotional minefield. Yes, she's a Harvard Law grad who married her soul mate. Yes, they live in elegant comfort on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. But with her one-and-only, Jack, came a stepson, a know-it-all preschooler named William who has become her number one responsibility every Wednesday afternoon.

Friends for over 30 years, Kerry and Pat’s worlds came crashing down when their teenage sons were both diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses within weeks of each other.

When her husband dies, Charlotte can’t face the things she’s done that could tear her family apart. Especially when her mama leaves her to grieve alone. So she drops a goodbye letter in the cookie jar and flees south to escape everything—her life, her three daughters, the mistakes she’s made, and the secrets eating her alive.

The trip was supposed to be fun. When Kit’s best friend gets dumped by his boyfriend, he begs her to ditch her family responsibilities for an idyllic weekend in the Montana mountains. They’ll soak in hot springs, then sneak a vape into a dive bar and drink too much, like old times. Instead, their getaway only reminds Kit of everything she’s lost lately: her wildness, her independence, and—most heartbreaking of all—her sister, Julie, who died a few years ago.

Motherhood isn’t always what’s expected. One woman may delight in navigating the unknowable, while another may look to the past to chart the course ahead. Still another may have the urge to redefine the relationship between mother and child. For each, the journey can be heartwarming and heartbreaking, ever changing and challenging. In these provocative stories, acclaimed authors probe the growing pains that can change the lives of both mother and child in ways they never imagined.

Society implies you need alcohol to get through motherhood. The drinking mom culture is a dangerous trend that threatens the well-being of both parents and children. The notion of having to be the “perfect mom” causes us to feel overwhelmed, unworthy, and in constant comparison, which in turn increases the chances we’ll crack open some alcohol and have a drink. Top that off with the challenge of trying to stay sober in a pandemic! It takes a lot of courage to admit that alcohol isn’t serving you, and to make the decision to begin a sober journey.

Do you ever feel lost in society's expectations, or do you struggle with being true to yourself at different stages of life? This book shows the way to true self-discovery and personal growth.

Being a parent is one of life's greatest challenges. For many years it was believed that continually berating and punishing their children was the best choice to educate them. Only in the last few years has the practice of positive disciplines been established. With this essential guide you will learn how to connect with your child and how to raise happy and disciplined children.

Homeschooling isn't always easy. There are hiccups and bumps, and there will be plenty of times that we doubt if we are really capable of teaching our kids well. In More than Enough, unexpected homeschooler of 12 years Kara Stephenson Anderson shares with warmth and honesty about real-life homeschooling. Written for any parent - those brand new to homeschooling and those who have been at this for years, More than Enough is a guide for putting connection ahead of perfection, letting go of standards and expectations, and living a life of learning and love together.

Who knew motherhood would be quite this hard? Rachel Williams who was once a nurse at the local clinic has now entered the world of multiple diaper changes, sleep deprivation and doing loads and loads of laundry. This new mom who once thought she would be the "ideal" mother is having a difficult time getting it together and feels insecure about her parenting skills. Learn of the many, many mishaps this new mom undergoes.

Empty-nesting can be a disorienting time, but it can also become the best season of your life if you'll let it. Jill Savage is an empty-nest mom who will guide you through this unpredictable time of life. You'll learn to let go of mixed emotions and grab hold of your full life here and now.