“When I was 11 my mother gave me her copy of I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith to read and I just fell in love with it. This wonderful story of an eccentric family living in a crumbling old castle became the blueprint for the sort of books I have loved ever since. I still have my mum’s copy, ripped and tattered now, with her maiden name hand written in the fly leaf, and it is by far the most precious book I own.” – Clare Leslie Hall (Broken Country)
“My mom introduced me to murder mysteries as a young teen. One of our shared favorites are the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus mysteries by Faye Kellerman. The stories are based in LA and Jewish-inflected–perfect for our family.” – Nina Simon (Mother-Daughter Murder Night)
“My favorite book by a writing mother figure in my life is Acting Out by Benilde Little. Benilde was one of my first writing teachers in New York City. She told me that in order to tell the story that was bubbling inside of me, I had to write like my parents were dead. Acting Out was her first novel and I adored and devoured every page.” – Sadeqa Johnson (House of Eve)
“Two memorable books my mom recommended to me were The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, and Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse.” – Tembi Locke (From Scratch)
