Five books for all mothers in honour of Mrs Josephine Awawu Amodu

My mum, Mrs Josephine Awawu Amodu, was a genial woman who loved everyone and I daresay was loved by very many people not least of all her patients in the many hospitals she worked whom she gave care no matter the time of day or the circumstances. Beyond h

1) I love my Mummy by Giles Andreas. What a great book with interesting and amazing illustrations by popular illustrator Emma Dodd. Words like” I love my mummy very much, she is great to cuddle, soft to touch” fall out of this beautiful book. A simple and life affirming text from the brilliant and award winning author, Giles Andreas. Wonderfully child-like verses about everything that makes mothers irresistible to their little ones. Toddler-friendly, funny, loving, this is an experience to be shared time and time again. In the on-line book review www.the bookbag.co.uk, it is exciting to see the various things mummies are good for with reference to this gorgeous book.“Mummies are good for lots of things, wiping noses, singing in the car, helping with wee-wees!” This sweet story tells us the best things about mummies. One of my favorite things about this book is how well it portrays what a mum’s typical day can be like. A truly special book in celebration of Mums and one that can get toddlers appreciating their mums better from a very young age not to talk of the wonderful illustrations that endear the book to all.

2) Buchi Emechetta, The Joys of Motherhood. This book is about the life of a Nigerian woman, Nnu Ego, whose life revolves around her children and through them Nnu gains the respect of her society. When colonial influences begin to change traditional values and ways of life Nnu is faced with new truths she must learn to live with. This book is the journey of Nnu as she learns to accept and understand the new ways of her people while clinging to her old traditional values. A mother is not always in a position of strength or even happiness. Buchi went through a hostile and poverty ridden climate while bringing up her children alone in London with an abusive husband. Some persons consider The joys of Motherhood, semi-autobiographical. Always try to make your mum happy, you never know what she is personally going through while putting up a brave front to make her children happy.

3) So long a letter by Mariama Ba. This is perceptive testimony to the plight of articulate women who live in a social milieu dominated by attitudes and values that deny them their proper place. A sequence of reminiscences, some wistful, some bitter, recounted by a recently widowed Senegalese school teacher. The letter is addressed to an old friend, a record of her emotional struggles including but not limited to the fact that her husband took a second wife. Although this is allowed in her religion Islam, she still considers it a betrayal by her husband of their stay together. Winner of the Noma prize, this book that I first read in the university is a great book of tribute to all mothers.

4) How to crack an egg with one hand, a pocketbook for the new mother by Francesca Beauman. In this book you will find all you need to know (and a few things you don’t) in order to embark on the mindboggling journey that is modern motherhood. You will find humorous yet pertinent advice on how to be a good mother and how to multitask. Something I learnt from my mother who was awesome at multitasking.

5) How not to be a perfect mother. This is a fresh look on the parenting classic to update it for mothers and mothers to be. This is a humorous look at the trials and tribulations of motherhood. Trust me, motherhood is not as easy as it seems. It is one of the most daunting assignments ever. From actually having the baby to raising the children. You would try to be a good mother but no one can honestly be a perfect mother. If you think you are a great mother, ask your kids. They would rather have another person’s mum as theirs. (Laughter). But there are quite a number of children who believe their mothers are the best. I am one of them.

In the end my advice would be love your mother as hard as you can for when you lose her you can’t take back the hand of the clock. You will only have memories as I do. Make sure they are good memories.