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12 Literary Mothers who Rock

By March 15, 2015March 11th, 2018Discussion and Recommendations

It’s Mothering Sunday in the UK today, so to celebrate I thought we’d celebrate the best fictional mums out there! The mothers from books give us all guidance, I know I’d certainly send Marmee Walsh from Little Women a Mother’s Day card if I could, so they definitely deserve this celebration.

Yesterday I asked on our Facebook page who your favourite literary mother is and around 200 of you replied. In all over 40 fictional mothers were nominated but when I added up the votes there was a very clear winner (and what a kick-ass mum she is). I included every mother who received more than one vote, and so here are your 12 favourite literary mothers.


Molly Weasley – Harry Potter series (65 votes)

harrypotter-400x284

Harry Potter Series (US)
Harry Potter Series (UK)

“Not my daughter, you bitch!” Who could fail to love the protective nature of Molly Weasley and the homely hug that is the Burrow?


Marmee/Mrs March – Little Women (23 votes)

littlewomen

Little Women (US)
Little Women (UK)

So many of us turned to Marmee for advice as children, it’s little wonder that we remember as adults what a wonderful mother she is.


Mrs Bennett – Pride and Prejudice (8 votes)

Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice (US)
Pride and Prejudice (UK)

Fierce and determined to mould her daughters for success, Mrs Bennett wouldn’t have been my first choice but I can see how she made third place, and here are the rest of your selections, taking the total to twelve.




Marilla Cuthbert – Anne of Green Gables (5 votes)

Lily Potter – Harry Potter series (3 votes)

Laila – A Thousand Splendid Suns (3 votes)

Fantine – Les Miserables (3 votes)

Claire Fraser – Outlander (2 votes)

Ma Joad – Grapes of Wrath (2 votes)

Rosa Hubermann – The Book Thief (2 votes)

Marian – A Thousand Splendid Suns

Nanny Ogg – Discworld series (2 votes)

Leave your vote

7 Comments

  • Aarya says:

    Laila and mariam Def!!!
    Learnt a lot of things from them… :’)

  • SHARAYU GANGURDE says:

    Katie Nolan from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn ought to have been on this list. Her fierce grit and strength in the face of so many struggles made Francie the determined girl as she grew up.

  • Caroline Ingalls/ Ma. Hendes kloge ord og råd. Hendes døtre skal opfører sig som damer, selvom de befinder sig langt ude på prærien. Og så er det vigtigt for hende at hendes døtre får en uddannelse. Og i det mindste kommer i skole.

  • Caroline Ingalls / Ma. Her words of wisdom and advice. Her daughters to behave like ladies, though they are far out on the prairie. And it’s important to her that her daughters get an education. And at least go to school.

  • Lucy says:

    Perhaps Ma from the Little House in the Prairie series? ( So American rather than British Isles., but I don’t like Austen, and I found Outlander disgusting .) Oh! The mother in Christmas Carol!

  • Amy Peterson says:

    I’m really surprised that Lily Potter isn’t number one, she literally died for the love and protection of her child, even refusing to have her life spared for his.

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