Motherhood (and life) is often what we make it. These ten books on motherhood will give you a joy-filled, gospel-focused, and beauty-saturated vision of motherhood.
The links below may be affiliate links, meaning I earn a small compensation at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure policy here.
Mother’s Day is this weekend and as I was searching for a certain article on Mother’s Day that I read every year, I came across many of these books on motherhood.
The right books have the power to transform our lives. To give us wisdom and understanding. To shake us up and push us out of wrong mindsets. To help us cast a vision of beauty and joy for our families.
Each of the books below have been incredibly transforming in my own life, and in the lives of so many other mothers.
They are all books that I reach for again and again– either to reread in its entirety, or simply to be encouraged by passages that made indelible impressions on my heart and mind.
This list is my gift to you this Mother’s Day. Because beyond any flowers or meals at our favorite restaurants, saturating ourselves with the truth of the gospel and informing ourselves with wisdom to better parent our children is a gift that will last long past this weekend.
Pssst: I’m actually not just giving you this list. There’s also a giveaway to enter at the bottom of this post!
Ten Transforming Books on Motherhood
1. Stepping Heavenward :: Elizabeth Prentiss
A memoir/diary written by a woman with struggles and faults just like us, who writes candidly about fighting sin and pursuing holiness. It is a must read for all women.
I am so thankful for Leigh Ann from Intentional By Grace for sharing this book with me, and actually sending me her own copy in the mail!
2. Treasuring Christ When Your Hands are Full :: Gloria Furman
I love anything by Gloria Furman. This book is no exception.
3. Mission of Motherhood :: Sally Clarkson
Sally is so gifted at encouraging mothers to view their roles and their children with eternity in mind. Her books have been very influential in inspiring me to savor the joys of motherhood and to intentionally find (and create!) beauty and peace in our home.
4. Loving the Little Years & Fit to Burst :: Rachel Jankovic
I recommend Rachel’s books SO OFTEN. They are short, but packed with humor and gospel truth. These are the books I reach for first when I feel like I am about to pull my hair out and need someone to help me get back on track.
5. Little Women & Little Men :: Louisa May Alcott
While these are no parenting books, per se, they are treasured books on motherhood nonetheless. Woven into the stories of raising young girls and boys are lessons and insights that continue to shape how I love and parent my children.
6. Shepherding A Child’s Heart & Instructing A Child’s Heart :: Tedd Tripp
Shepherding a Child’s Heart was one of the first books I read as a mother eight years ago. It was just as much an encouragement to me in the gospel as it was instruction on how to give my children the gospel. I will be forever indebted to this book for teaching me to get to the heart of an issue and not merely address the surface manifestations– for both myself and my children.
Instructing a Child’s Heart is written for slightly older children, but just as full of wisdom and truth.
7. Don’t Make Me Count to Three :: Ginger Hubbard
Where Shepherding a Child’s Heart is more theory and big picture, this book is the practical application. Just how do you shepherd your children’s hearts with the gospel? This book gives you real-life examples and help.
8. Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family :: Paul Tripp
I love anything by the Tripps and this book is no exception. If there’s anything we need more in our motherhood and in our lives, it’s the gospel. Read this book. (Or listen!)
9. Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus :: Elise Fitzpatrick
I will be forever indebted to Elise for helping me to see in new ways how to give my children grace. Thanks to Elise, I am much more sensitive to teaching my children their need for grace, no matter how well behaved they are or are not.
Every parent should read this book.
10. Missional Motherhood: The Everyday Ministry of Motherhood in the Grand Plan of God :: Gloria Furman
Another Gloria Furman classic. Get a vision of the bigger picture of your motherhood in light of God’s eternal plan.
A Mother’s Day Giveaway!
In honor of Mother’s Day, I am going to give away one book from this list. Enter to win below. A winner will be announced on Monday and will be able to select their book of choice.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I also really loved the Scottish Turansky book…..I might get the title a little mixed up but it’s like : How to stop whining, crying and complaining in your home……something like that. It changes the way we parent. Honor based parenting. Straight from the word of God. Learning that we don’t have to demand obedience but we do expect honor from our kids and to our kids and out of that obedience often flows. It showed US our sin in parenting and how we can help our children see Christ in us and want to love Him. It’s good!
NOT SCOTTISH….UGH! AUTO CORRECT…..
SCOTT TURANSKY
Great list! I also recommend The Duties of Parents by J.C. Ryle
Lots of great books!
Oh I would love to read all those books!
All the books sound interesting.
This is a great list! Thanks for sharing
Great list!
Love this list! I’m currently reading parenting. I would love to get the don’t make me count to 3 book. Thanks for doing this.
I have not read any of these books but I am looking forward to checking out the list! They all look great!
I have not read any of these books but all of them look great! I’m looking forward to checking them out!
Thanks for the list – anxious to get reading!
Love Stepping Heavenward, one of my favorite books!!! I also liked Shepherding a child heart, I’m reading another similar book now called Parenting is Heart Work by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller
Great list!! So many wonderful books there! One I will add, which isn’t technically a parenting book but has impacted my parenting too, is teaching from rest. Such great perspective on life with kids and the joy of teaching them at home!
I have read a few of these and have loved them. Would like to read the rest, thanks!
I liked the Clarksons’ book The Lifegiving Table…getting ready to start The LIfegiving Parent.
All of these books sound great! Parenting a Stong-Willed Child is a book that has helped me a lot recently. I very much look forward to reading these books! Thank you for the list and opportunity!
I have some of these books but the other suggestions seem so great! I want to gift some to the moms I know in my life!!
Teaching from Rest is a favorite of mine.
I love both books by Rachel Jankovic and reread them frequently.
Thank for this list!
I’m about to start missional motherhood! Thank you for this list! ❤️
John Piper’s book, “Future Grace” has had a profound influence on my parenting.
I LOVED the book Loving the little years! One of the most life changing things in that book for me was talking about when you have multiple children it’s easy to see them as a whole instead of individuals. Like if one is acting out, then another one acts out, you might snap at the third when really the third didn’t do anything.
So simple but really eye opening and a hit between the eyes for me!
So many of these books look SOOOO good!
Thanks for sharing the list! Would love to win.
I own almost all of these and have only read two or three. Looks like I need to do some more reading.