Milly Johnson's top 5 books about mothers

The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood

By Susan Elliot Wright

This is a fabulous book which sucked me willingly into its pages. It’s so powerful – from the dark imagery of crows to the sensitive handling of loss and grief. I felt like a little ship tossed on an ocean of emotion while reading it.

The Bad Mother’s Handbook

By Kate Long

No two mums are alike, but love is everything is the theme of this wonderful book. A fabulous portrait of motherhood explored through three generations of women.

The A to Z of Everything

By Debbie Johnson

Sisters Poppy and Rose haven’t spoken for a decade and it’s down to an A-to-Z manual from their late mother – written for them – to sort out that problem. I laughed, I cried, I loved it.

You Me Everything

By Catherine Isaac 

A difficult subject handled with the lightest of touches. Jess takes her son over to France for the summer to bond with his feckless father. But there is so much more to her motive than initially appears. This book landed a Hollywood deal for good reason.

The Hand that First Held Mine

By Maggie O’Farrell

She had me at the title – but then Ms O’Farrell can do no wrong. It’s a split timeline tale where the loose ends come together in a beautiful knot. In this one she has deftly tackled how motherhood changes one’s perception of the world. And it really does!

The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew by Milly Johnson is out now (Simon & Schuster, £14.99)