This post was originally published on Audible.com.
Moms are some of the most resourceful, hardworking, and amazing people on the planet. And as every mom—and anyone who loves a mom—knows, a day of celebration and gratitude for all their efforts isn't enough. Moms deserve a supportive culture all year round. Because, let's face it, not only is motherhood full of challenges, but those challenges don't look the same for all of us.
Whatever motherhood means to you, this list reflects a spectrum of perspectives on this foundational relationship and shows appreciation to all the different moms of the world. Here are some of our favorite audiobooks to give, receive, and cherish this Mother's Day.
Did you know Kristin Hannah almost became a lawyer—until her mother convinced her to follow her dreams? Lucky us. Among her many gifts, Hannah has the unique ability to take a well-known historical event and intimately weave it with a captivating human story. The Women pays tribute to the nurses who served in the Vietnam War, with heroine Frankie McGrath as their vessel. Julia Whelan performs this sweeping, poignant novel that traces Frankie's journey from naive young woman to the kind of bold and committed nurse whose historic wartime contributions will have Mom cheering (and weeping) along.
Clinical psychologist Becky Kennedy, PhD, (or "Dr. Becky" to her many Instagram followers) has a radical parenting philosophy based on a simple but profound truth—no parent or kid is "bad." As a mom to three herself, Dr. Becky leans on her years of experience to guide parents through tantrums, sibling rivalry, anxiety, and other child-rearing conundrums. Narrated by the author, this uplifting listen is as much about self-development as child-rearing, and new and seasoned moms alike will come away empowered to set their kids up for a lifetime of resilience.
This Audie Award winner is one of our favorite listens for moms—and not just because it's a breathlessly suspenseful drama that surprises at every turn. In this multicast production, playwright Madhuri Shekar digs into the complex mother-daughter relationship while paying tribute to maternal intuition. The story follows an Indian American woman, Pallavi, whose busy life in California is frequently interrupted by calls from her Delhi-based mother, Usha, who desperately wants her to get married. Rife with insights into first- and second-generation family dynamics, Evil Eye is funny, eerie, poignant, and thrilling all at once.
Can any mom resist the gravitational pull of Whoopi Goldberg's legendary charisma? We think not. In this unique memoir, Goldberg shares personal stories of her mother, Emma, and older brother, Clyde, for the first time. When Whoopi lost Emma in 2010 and Clyde five years later, she felt deeply alone. Now, she voices an unforgettable portrait of their love. As she says, “Not everybody gets to walk this earth with folks who let you be exactly who you are and who give you the confidence to become exactly who you want to be.” If you're among this lucky few because of your mom, the gift of listening to Bits and Pieces is a meaningful way to thank her.
Both insightful and buoyant, Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel feels as warm as being hugged by eight arms at once. From distant mothers to lost sons, Remarkably Bright Creatures revolves around absence, as its humans (all charmingly performed by Marin Ireland) take solace in the routines that keep the Sowell Bay Aquarium afloat. But it’s Marcellus (voiced by Michael Urie, making his triumphant return to an octopus’s perspective) who connects the dots in their stories with his tentacled limbs and advanced intelligence to unravel a profound lesson about the ways love can hide in plain sight.
Moms need sparkle, and Ali Wong delivers. Dear Girls, written as a series of letters to her daughters, is filled with the comedian's trademark humor, wisdom, and brutal—yet hilarious—honesty. The letters are every bit as sharp and funny as Wong's Netflix specials, but they're also surprisingly moving and enlightening. There's actually some great (and gross) advice for expecting parents in here, so while the seasoned moms will be laughing knowingly, parents-to-be might be in for an education as well.
Like most of the audiobooks on this list, Operating Instructions is the perfect listen for moms of all kinds—new moms, single moms, and really any mom who could use a little bit of support. With openness, thoughtfulness, and, yes, humor, legendary author Anne Lamott shares her experiences as a single mother during the first year of her son’s life. In the three decades since it was first published, Operating Instructions has become a stealth classic and a unicorn of gifting—it's both a universal crowd-pleaser and an utterly individual source of reassurance and comfort.
Shonda Rhimes might be most famous as the creator of TV blockbusters like Grey’s Anatomy and Bridgerton, but she deserves just as much recognition as an author. Her memoir Year of Yes is iconic—and if Mom still hasn't heard it, it's time to correct that. Rhimes narrates with the enthusiasm and encouragement listeners would expect from an audiobook that's about saying yes to every opportunity, covering topics from parenting and creativity to success and feminism. Because while mothers care about motherhood, they’re also fully realized women with a wide range of interests—and we say "yes" to that all year long.
Stressed out and in need of a laugh? Check out Brackish Waters, a riotous Audible Original that follows stressed-out mom Kate who hopes for salvation (both for a stalled career and failing marriage) in the form of an all-expenses-paid trip for the whole family to the Seaview at Sandpiper Bay. There’s only one problem—the luxurious resort isn’t what it seems, and Kate and her family are awarded a vacation from hell. Furious, Kate sets out to write the most epic takedown of a Yelp review ever. This is a wild ride made all the more hilarious with the ever-talented Christina Applegate at the mic.
Independent-minded moms will love chemist Elizabeth Zott. It’s the 1960s, and women, no matter how brilliant, are not welcome in laboratories. When a grumpy, Nobel–nominated genius takes an interest in (and soon falls for) Elizabeth’s exceptional mind, she learns what chemistry feels like outside the lab. A few years later, Elizabeth, now a single mother, hosts Supper at Six, a TV show that explains the chemistry of baking. As her audience grows, so do the complications. After all, a cooking show centered on opening women’s minds to new possibilities doesn’t quite fit the status quo.
After having a child, navigating your relationship with your parents (plus your partner's parents) can feel overwhelming. Paula Span, writer of the popular New York Times column The New Old Age,
offers a reassuring guide for new moms and new grandmas alike in The Bubbe Diaries. From research regarding sleep and bonding to the tensions that might arise between a new mom and her mother-in-law, Span’s thoughtful reflections and sweet, hilarious recollections of her experiences with her own granddaughter are sure to offer hope and comfort.
For many mothers, adoption offers a wonderful opportunity to bond with a child. But for adopted children, the bond with their non-biological mother can be complicated. In Given Away, Korean adoptee Glenn Morey and his wife, Julie Morey, share their experiences interviewing 100 Korean adoptees from across the globe. With the rise of international adoption, thousands of children had their lives upended and reset in a completely different culture, leaving them to navigate both trauma and a search for their own identity. A story of survival, family, and strength, this listen is one Mom won’t soon forget.
This cult classic is an in-house favorite, even more for its unique hook and outsize charm than its star wattage, though the latter certainly doesn't hurt. Written by Virginia Grohl, the mother of Dave Grohl, From Cradle to Stage shares hilarious stories and heartwarming anecdotes featuring music icons, their mothers, and their perspectives on the unique relationship between mother and rocker. Interviewing such women as the mothers of Dr. Dre, Michael Stipe, Amy Winehouse, and Adam Levine, this fascinating odyssey will appeal to rock-loving moms everywhere.
"It takes a village to raise a child." While nearly everyone is familiar with that African proverb, in DeVon Franklin’s experience, it takes a “village of love.” In his inventive memoir It Takes a Woman, the Hollywood producer and author offers a heartfelt introduction to the women who raised him. Listeners get to hear as his mother and five living great-aunts recall how the women heeded the call to help raise him and his two brothers after his father’s untimely passing. This is a story of hope, faith, and resilience, which honors the sacrifices of a remarkable village of Black women.
Reminders of Him is the heartfelt story of a young mother, Kenna, who makes a tragic mistake that results in her losing rights to her daughter. She returns to the town where it all went wrong, in the hopes of being reunited with the daughter she's never known. But the locals know who Kenna is, and they aren't so ready to welcome her back. This story then becomes one of the amends Kenna will need to make on the path to getting her daughter back. Colleen Hoover packs an emotional punch that will have you grabbing your tissues.
Moms don’t cease to be moms when they lose a child, and Mother's Day can be extremely difficult for those who have experienced this pain. When Joan Didion’s life was shattered by the deaths of her husband and daughter, she wrote a new chapter. In this adaptation of her iconic memoir, Didion's story is transformed into a one-woman play performed by Tony Award winner Vanessa Redgrave, who originated the role on Broadway in 2007. Written with Didion’s trademark style of cool observation, The Year of Magical Thinking weaves back and forth in time, taking listeners on a poignant journey through heartbreak, grief, and resilience.
Abby Jimenez’s novels are always an emotional roller coaster that leave fans joyful and begging for more—and here's betting your mom will be no exception. Briana (from Part of Your World) is a no-nonsense ER doctor dealing with her failed marriage—and a rude new colleague. Jacob can’t do anything right, and now his cute fellow ER doctor hates him. Oh, and his ex-girlfriend is marrying his brother. After Jacob apologizes to Briana for acting like a jerk, she agrees to accompany him to the dreaded wedding. What ensues is an enemy-to-fake-dating-to-lovers rom-com, brilliantly narrated by listener favorites Zachary Webber and Kyla Garcia.
Spanning five decades, The Dutch House centers on Maeve and Danny Conroy, siblings bound by abandonment, loss, and a shared obsession with their childhood home—a stunning mansion in the suburbs of Philadelphia, which their father snapped up at an estate sale. Danny, who is several years younger and protected by his strong yet vulnerable sister, tells their story, and narrator Tom Hanks captures his voice in all its bemusement, bitterness, and tenderness. Troubled families are Ann Patchett’s specialty—and Hanks brings the complicated, confounding Conroys to life unforgettably.
