The perfect gift for lovely mums everywhere, this book is a collection of heart-warming anecdotes and hilarious misdemeanors that celebrate mums and reminds us all why they are so special. The Loose Women will reflect on their relationships with their own mothers – from Jane McDonald, who lives with her mum; to Carol McGiffin remembering her childhood as great fun, but a 'health and safety nightmare' . They will also share their own experiences of being mums - Coleen Nolan tells how it’s been the role she’s loved most in life and shares some of the silliest things her children have said; Denise talks of her surprise at becoming a mother for the second time; Sherrie Hewson reveals the joy she felt at becoming a mum after eight years of trying; while Oxo mum Lynda Bellingham remembers the struggles of bringing up her two teenage boys single-handedly. An irresistible mix of uplifting stories, laugh-out-loud banter and bittersweet moments, this book will be a gift to treasure for mums from all generations.

The true happenings of the time in the life of Nellie May born in April. A little joke we shared with Nellie regarding when she was born. Nellie did not have a happy childhood with a dad who beat her, she went through traumatic times when she had to go in the air raid shelter during the war when she was growing up. She went to a comprehensive school and started work at the age of 14. When Nellie was in her fifties, she liked to have a drink. I remember one day a taxi driver came to our house and asked if Nellie was at home I said no, he said I think I have her in my car (and he had). Looking back, we had some very funny times. Nellie was the life and soul of the party. She was feisty, head strong, not afraid to speak her mind, funny, loving, caring and beautiful she would do anything for anyone. She loved to dance and sing and play the organ. Nellie was in her eighties when she developed the terrible disease dementia, of which these diaries are about to tell. There were sad times but also some happy times. Nellie would always pronounce the word baby as babby as that is how she would say it. These diaries tell of what happened during her time with dementia.

Dr. Michael Salzhauer, a renowned plastic surgeon, wrote My Beautiful Mommy to help patients explain their transformation to their children. The story guides children through Mommy's surgery and healing process in a friendly, nonthreatening way.

With her older sister planning a wedding and her younger sister preparing to launch a career on the stage, Lulu can't help but feel like the failure of the Atwater family. Lulu loves her sisters dearly and wants nothing but the best for them, but she finds herself stuck in a rut. When her mother sends her to look for some old family recipes in the attic, she stumbles across a collection of letters written by her great-great-grandmother Josephine March. Jo writes in detail about every aspect of her life: her older sister Meg's new home and family; her younger sister Amy's many admirers; the family's shared grief over losing Beth; and her own feelings towards a handsome young German. As Lulu delves deeper into the lives of the March sisters, she finds solace and guidance, but can her great-great-grandmother help Lulu find a place in a world so different from the one Jo knew?--From publisher description.

Writing with the warmth and humour that have made her so popular, Coleen describes her eventful life, from joining her sisters' band The Nolans when she was only nine to growing up in the spotlight as they went on to chart-topping success around the world. Coleen also reveals how she coped with her tumultuous marriage to television star Shane Richie and how, after they split she was left a single parent struggling to get through each day. She landed the job of presenter on This Morning and was just finding her feet when she was sacked, plunging her into depression as she lost all confidence. A way out finally came in the form of chat show Loose Women, where Coleen reclaimed her place in the nation's hearts. Today she is happily married and an inspiration to women everywhere who believed their 'best days' were behind them. Entertaining, funny and shockingly honest, this book is sure to appeal to her many fans old and new.

“You will devour these beautifully written—and very important—tales of honesty, pain, and resilience” (Elizabeth Gilbert, New York Times bestselling author of Eat Pray Love and City of Girls) from fifteen brilliant writers who explore how what we don’t talk about with our mothers affects us, for better or for worse. As an undergraduate, Michele Filgate started writing an essay about being abused by her stepfather. It took her more than a decade to realize that she was actually trying to write about how this affected her relationship with her mother. When it was finally published, the essay went viral, shared on social media by Anne Lamott, Rebecca Solnit, and many others. This gave Filgate an idea, and the resulting anthology offers a candid look at our relationships with our mothers. Leslie Jamison writes about trying to discover who her seemingly perfect mother was before ever becoming a mom. In Cathi Hanauer’s hilarious piece, she finally gets a chance to have a conversation with her mother that isn’t interrupted by her domineering (but lovable) father. André Aciman writes about what it was like to have a deaf mother. Melissa Febos uses mythology as a lens to look at her close-knit relationship with her psychotherapist mother. And Julianna Baggott talks about having a mom who tells her everything. As Filgate writes, “Our mothers are our first homes, and that’s why we’re always trying to return to them.” There’s relief in acknowledging how what we couldn’t say for so long is a way to heal our relationships with others and, perhaps most important, with ourselves. Contributions by Cathi Hanauer, Melissa Febos, Alexander Chee, Dylan Landis, Bernice L. McFadden, Julianna Baggott, Lynn Steger Strong, Kiese Laymon, Carmen Maria Machado, André Aciman, Sari Botton, Nayomi Munaweera, Brandon Taylor, and Leslie Jamison.

The trip of a lifetime, a summer of love - unputdownable writing, perfect for fans of John Green and E. Lockhart. Maddie O'Neill Levine wants to spend the summer before college tying up loose ends with her best friends - kissing boys and soaking up the last of the summer sun. Then her beloved grandmother drops a bombshell; she has been diagnosed with cancer. To spend quality time with her family, Maddie's grandmother takes the whole family on a round-the-word cruise - but at the end of it, Gram might not return home. Here is a story about love, loss and the power of forgiveness.