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Portraits of Parenthood in Fiction

Uncover our collection of novels exploring the challenges, surprises, and emotional complexity of parenting and family life. @BurlONLibrary bpladult

User from Burlington Public Library

14 items

  • An isolated couple’s dream of building a family in the wilderness unravels as repeated pregnancy losses fuel obsession, resentment, and eerie forces beyond their control.
    Book, 20132013 — BEL
  • A stressed New York mother and parenting columnist spirals into fierce kindergarten-admissions competition, forcing her to confront the hypocrisy and chaos of modern parenthood.
    Book, 2024New York, NY : William Morrow, [2024] — BRI
  • A stay-at-home dad’s secret journal and growing attraction to another parent spark marital turmoil when his wife discovers the truth, forcing both partners to confront desire, fidelity, and the stability of their relationship.
    Book, 2006New York : Ballantine Books, c2006. — CAM
  • After becoming unexpectedly pregnant and single, a grad student and her two friends attempt to co-parent and live together in Seattle, discovering both the chaos and meaning of building an unconventional family.
    Book, 2010New York : St. Martin's Press, c2010. — FRA
  • During one chaotic weekend, a sleep-deprived new father impulsively takes his baby to the Caribbean while his wife, newly free for the first time in months, embarks on her own unexpected journey through New York City.
    Book, 2013New York : Henry Holt and Co., 2013. — GOO
  • A pediatrician and mother with a difficult past must balance her own family life while making hard judgments about at-risk children and confronting echoes of her own upbringing.
    Book, 2008Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2008. — KLA
  • After losing his pregnant partner to leukemia moments after their daughter is born, a grieving father struggles to navigate heartbreak, healing, and single parenthood.
    Book, 2018Brooklyn : Melville House, [2018] — MAL
  • After discovering his wife’s infidelity, a stay-at-home father takes his young son on a journey to his late father’s cabin, where he confronts loss, betrayal, and an unexpected chance at renewal.
    Book, 2012Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012.
  • A devoted single mother pushes her teenage twins toward the future she always wanted for them, only to discover that her ambitions may be endangering their independence and family bond.
    Book, 2018[Dublin, Ireland] : Penguin Ireland, [2018] — MOR
  • After a tragic accident leaves them guardians of a toddler, an urban couple must confront unexpected truths about themselves, their relationship, and whether they are ready for parenthood.
    Book, 2012Toronto : Emblem, 2012. — ONS
  • This fictionalized biography follows psychologist Rosalie Rayner Watson as her groundbreaking but controversial work on behaviorism collides with her own experiences of motherhood and love.
    Book, 2016New York, NY : Soho Press, [2016] — ROM
  • Why Mommy Swears

    the Struggles of An Exasperated Mom

    Sims, Gill
    An overwhelmed mother juggles school holidays, PTA politics, difficult family relationships, and the relentless chaos of parenting with humor and exasperation.
    Book, 2018London : HarperCollins Publishers, 2018. — SIM
  • Back in Australia, Don Tillman tries to help his socially awkward son navigate school and friendship while confronting difficult questions about parenting, identity, and acceptance.
    Book, 2019Melbourne, Australia : Text Publishing, 2019. — SIM
  • Five sets of parents find their relationships changing in the face of influences ranging from Hollywood job opportunities and celebrity exes to extramarital affairs and abandonments.
    Book, 2012New York : Simon & Schuster, c2012. — SOH