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From the ones who insist that they “don’t need a present”, to the many who only receive candles and robes as gifts, mothers and mother figures are notoriously hard to buy presents for. Our mothers have spent so much time and energy enriching our lives, and it often feels as if nothing could ever express the gratitude that you have for them.
If you want to give your mother something to enrich their life this Mother’s Day, we have just the list for you! Books are one of the most thoughtful gifts that you could give a person, as it shows that you have paid attention to their interests, sought out a story or a theme that you think they would engage with, and it allows them to unwind. What a beautiful gift!
Below are some beautiful and carefully selected books that would make a thoughtful present for the mother in your life.
Find me at the Jaffa Gate by Micaela Sahhar
Australian-Palestinian writer and educator, Michaela Sahhar explores identity and belonging in this emotional and thought-provoking read. As the official synopsis asks, “What does the daughter of a Nakba survivor inherit?” The answer: “It is not property or tangible heirlooms, nor the streets and neighbourhoods of a father’s childhood and the deep roots of family who have lived in one place, Jerusalem, for generation upon generation. Fixing her gaze on moments, places and objects – from the streets of Bethlehem to the Palestinian neighbourhoods of the New Jerusalem – Micaela Sahhar assembles a story of Palestinian diaspora, and the importance of memory to reclaim a place called home.”
This non-fiction work by Aussie writer Jane Rawson explores how and why we think about the natural world the way we do – something Rawson has thought a lot about after packing up her beloved inner-city home several years ago and moving to the bush. Apprehensive about the impact of climate change on the big city, and keen to meet more animals, she found a new home in a cottage in the Huon Valley. But in a place where nature never really leaves you alone, she had to confront her uncomfortable relationship with the outdoors.
Inconvenient Women by Jacqueline Kent
Acclaimed biographer Jacqueline Kent sets out to delve into the stories behind some influential women in history who have potentially been overlooked. Australia’s crusaders for women’s voting rights and the radical feminists of the 1970s changed lives across the country and around the globe. But what about the generation in between? The likes of female journalist Mary Gilmore, novelists Katharine Susannah Prichard and Eleanor Dark, and more are mentioned in this read, as Kent traces these women’s stories, shaped by the seismic social and political events of their time, and illuminates their immense courage and principled determination to change the world.
Funga Obscura by Alison Pouliot
Who thought a book about fungi could be so compelling? Titled Funga Obscura, this read combines the exploration of fungi, and photography of it. “Beginning in elemental landscapes of ice and rock, the book traces the evolutionary path of fungi as enablers of life on land, and creators of soils and forests,” reads the synopsis. “Crossing continents and ecosystems, we navigate lichen-covered landscapes, crawl in the fungal undergrowth, scale glacial extremes and duck between rainforest shadows.”
Travelling to Tomorrow by Yves Rees
Yves Rees sets out to study women who’ve made their mark and left a legacy as trailblazers and changemakers. Think: a celebrity decorator with blue hair, a single mother who advised JFK in the Oval Office, and a Christian nudist with a passion for almond milk.
“A century ago, ten Australian women did something remarkable. Throwing convention to the wind, they headed across the Pacific to make their fortune. In doing so, they reoriented Australia towards the United States years before politicians began to lumber down the same path. For the artist Mary Cecil Allen, this meant spreading the word about American abstract expressionism. For the naturopath Alice Caporn, it meant evangelising fruit juices and salads. For the swimmer Isabel Letham, it was teaching synchronised swimming.”
