Our Best Parenting Memoir Books | Top 5 Picks

Candice Brathwaite provides a candid account of her experience as a black mother raising black children in the UK. A compelling and thought-provoking read, this Sunday Times Bestseller is an eye-opener into systemic racism and one mother’s battle against it. A perfect balance of painful truths and undeniable humour, Brathwaite is to be commended for her exceptional creative talent and for using the springboard of her social media platform to raise awareness and promote inclusivity.

Buy "I am Not your Baby Mother"

New York Times Bestselling author, Jennifer Boylan, has written a beautifully constructed memoir of parenting through her transition from man to woman, father to mother. Making the transition when her children were young, Boylan describes her experience with incredible honesty. Including interviews with others who have faced difficult circumstances, Boylan’s humorous memoir provides a wonderful insight into a unique set of parenting challenges. A lesser-discussed parenting journey, Boylan’s memoir is one to be treasured.

Buy "Stuck in the Middle with You"

A poignant and relatable collection of letters to her sons, husband, parents and, importantly, herself, Giovanna Fletcher’s Letters on Motherhood is an enjoyable read for any parent. A particularly genuine account of the emotional rollercoaster of motherhood from the Sunday Times Bestselling author, this book celebrates the wonder of all that the title ‘mum’ encompasses – the ups, the downs and everything in between.

Buy "Letters on Motherhood"

Taking her readers on an evocative journey through motherhood, Clover Stroud covers the highs and the lows in her Sunday Times Bestseller, My Wild and Sleepless Nights. Describing her first year as a mother-of-five, Stroud focuses on the raw emotional experience which mothers everywhere will be able to empathise with.

Buy "My Wild and Sleepless Nights"

Liz Berry has written a collection of poems which romanticise the often mundane and painful experiences of early motherhood – providing the reader with a gentle reflection. Describing excruciating experiences such as labour so beautifully, Berry perfectly conveys the life-changing process from the blissful position of hindsight.

Buy "The republic of Motherhood"