Mother: A Story

Mother is the fictional tale of a young lady who leaves home and repudiates family life in the hope of finding personal fulfillment through independence and a career. She decides that home life is a poor choice in the face of life in the big city. But God dramatically changes her heart, and she realizes that wealth and position are illusory and that independence can enslave a young lady. She discovers that the greatest woman she has ever known is her mother. Now she longs for home and for motherhood. Originally published in 1911, this forgotten classic sold over 500,000 copies in its first years of release. One of the most popular novelists of the 1910s and 1920s, Kathleen Norris wrote 82 novels selling more than 10 million copies. The publication of Mother, which celebrated the sacrifice of motherhood, made her an instant celebrity and earned her a personal visit from then President Theodore Roosevelt.