With Mother’s Day right around the corner, I thought it might be fun to share some of our favorite fictional moms. I’ll start.
Ma Ingalls
I grew up with the Little House books and watching the series on TV. Caroline Ingalls seemed like the perfect mom. Patient yet firm. Courageous, wise, fun-loving, and full of love for her children. She also was a God-fearing woman who knew her Bible and saw to it the girls made it to church every Sunday even if Pa stayed home to work the farm.
Marmee March
While the girls of Little Women take center stage, it is clear that Marmee is the glue that holds the family together. She is calm in the face of adversity, charitable to her neighbors and those in need, and is always ready with a soft-spoken word to gently correct her girls and remind them of what is truly important – family.
Helen Parr – Elastigirl
Talk about your supermom! Helen balances career and family with remarkable skill, yet you always know that family comes first. She is protective while also pushing her kids to reach their potential. There’s no challenge too big or obstacle too frightening for this incredible mom!
Kala
Kala, from Disney’s Tarzan, is a beautiful example of adoptive love. Shared DNA is not a requirement for motherhood. All you need is a loving heart, a protective spirit, and a willingness to have your child’s back no matter their struggles to thrive. Persistent acceptance and patience creates a bond that can never be broken.
Frigga – Queen of Asgard
I love Frigga’s character in the Thor and Avenger movies. Her husband and both her sons, all so very different in temperament are united in one thing–they adore her. Is it any wonder why? She loves with abandon, she teases and counsels in the same breath, and she can see through any trickery or lie to discern the truth. She is dignified and regal yet also extremely approachable and kind. And she’s amazingly good in a fight. If things had turned out differently, she would have made a wonderful mother-in-law.
Victoria Barkley
I started with a soft western mother figure, and I’m rounding out my list with a fiery western mother figure. Victoria Barkley was the matriarch of the wealthy Barkley family from The Big Valley. As a widow, she takes over where her husband left off and runs the ranch with skill and intelligence. With her at the helm, family always sticks together. Yet her heart stretches to welcome even a son not of her blood. Her late-husband fathered a son with another woman, and when the young man shows up to claim his birthright, Victoria immediately takes him in and treats him as if he were one of her own. I have to admire a woman so generous with her love.
Who are some of your favorite fictional moms?
Giveaway
I’ll select one winner from those who leave a comment to win their choice of one of the three e-novellas below.
Each of these stories features a plot centered around motherhood. Have fun!
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All of those books look good. Happy Mother’s day!
Happy Mother’s Day to you, too, Lori!
Carol Brady is one of my favorites.
I grew up with the Brady Bunch. Great pick!
What a wonderful post. My favorite is Ma Ingalls, no matter what happened she was unflappable and sought solace in her faith. I hope you have a Happy Mother’s Day, Karen!
She has always been my favorite fictional mom. 🙂
I would have to say Ma Ingalls. She endured a lot, more than I believe I am capable of enduring.
You might surprise yourself, Linda. It’s amazing the strength that God provides when we are faced with hardship.
I love those you mentioned as well as Olivia Walton.
Olivia Walton was next on my list! Such inner strength. To be a mom during the depression must have been so hard.
Olivia Walton from The Waltons would have to be my favorite, too. She was strong and unflappable during a tough time of the depression era. I loved how she always encouraged all of her children.
Yes! I loved her character. She was the backbone of faith for her family, too!
This was a fun post…The ones that come to mind are…Maria (Julie Andrews) on the Sound of Music for her compassion…Jill Taylor on Home Improvement for her wit…June Cleaver of Leave it to Beaver for the perfect image, Victoria Barkley of The Big Valley for her strength and courage. Hope you have a blessed and Happy Mother’s Day!
those are great mom mentions, Suzanne. I adore the sound of Music. And I had forgotten about Jill Taylor’s wit. She was the perfect foil for Tim’s craziness. 🙂
I remember (and I’m dating myself here bigtime!) June Cleaver from Leave It To Beaver, the mom from Father Knows Best and Donna Reed from the Donna Reed show. Oldies but goodies!! Thanks for the giveaway!!
Those classics were such paragons. Love them!
Carol Brady from The Brady Bunch 😊❤️
Yes. Both a mother of her own, and an adoptive mother. Great example!
Fun post for Mother’s Day! I always liked Jill Taylor from Tool Time, Ma Ingalls, and Carol Brady. 🙂
I love your choice, Angie. Each so different yet with so much to offer.
Ma Ingills for sure but also Claire Huxtable. She was professional but loved her family dearly. Her strength was a beautiful thing for me to see as a teen. It showed me we can provide for our family but also tenderly care for them.
Yes! Claire Huxtable is a great add! A working mom who still always found time for family. Wonderful example!
Will these novellas ever be in in printed book form? I don’t do ebooks and hate to miss anything you write…
Hi, Patricia.
All of these novellas are available in print as part of various collections. The Love Knot is in HEARTS ENTWINED, A Cowboy Unmatched is in A MATCH MADE IN TEXAS, and Worth the Wait is in ALL MY TOMORROWS. However, this giveaway is just for the e-book version. Sorry.
Caroline Ingalls is my all-time favorite fictional mom! Even Laura became a great mom after following her mother’s lead!
I agree, Vickie!
All of these are wonderful examples of moms. Thought I dont know Frigga – Queen of Asgard. Thank you for this wonderful moms give a way. I would love to read all of these. Happy Mothers Day to you.
Happy Mother’s Day to you too, Lori!
I really loved this post, Karen! It’s so much fun to think about the fictional moms that left and impression — and why they did so. Happy Mother’s Day to you and all the other moms in our midst!
Thanks, Becky. Moms always seem to leave an impact, don’t they? Whether they are fictional or real, the impact is still felt.
This is a great list! I’m torn between choosing Frigga or Helen Parr as my favorite fictional mom because they’re both really cool. I guess I’d have to go with Frigga though, how she helped her son Thor was so endearing in the movies.
I agree, Megan. I particularly loved her role in Avengers End Game. The God of Thunder needed his mom, and she was there for him with such love and wisdom. Not to mention that last line that was so typical mom – “And maybe eat a salad.” That cracks me up every time.
Like so many others, my favorite is Caroline “Ma” Ingalls.
I’m right there with you, Roxanne.
What a cute idea! Hmm…I think I’d pick Ma Ingalls. I feel like I grew up with her and she had such an loving patience in how she parented and she was quietly brave and strong!
Happy Mother’s Day!
I grew up with her, too! There was never any doubt in my mind that she would be there for her family, whatever they needed.
I, too, enjoyed watching Little House and Ma Ingalls. However, in my favorite movie, The Sound of Music, Maria became an instant mother of many children. She truly loved the children, encouraged them to blossom into what God planned them to be, spent time listening them, and, of course, spent time sharing her many talents (singing, etc.) with them. Maria is my final answer. ☺️
Maria is a great choice, Donna! She fell in love with those children even faster than she did with the Captain. And she obviously made a much better mother than the Baroness would have.
What a hard choice. My first thought was Caroline Ingalls. Then I read the posts and saw Maria, Donna Reed, June Cleaver, and on and on. They are great mothers. Happy Moms day to all.
I love that we have great fictional moms to pick from. We need more positive examples out there, in fiction and in life.
These all look great!
I do love Caroline Ingalls, she may very well be my favorite fictional mother.
She’s a hard one to beat. 🙂
I always enjoyed Laura Petrie on the Dick Van Dyke show, in additional to several classics previously mentioned.
I’m sad to say that I’ve never seen the Dick Van Dyke show. I’ve heard wonderful things about it. I may have to look it up one of these days.
One of my favorite fictional moms is Marmee March.
Yes! She takes a supporting role, but such a vital one.
Jill on Home Improvement is a more recent favorite. And I like the mother of Aurora Teagarden on the Hallmark Mystery programs.
Great additions, Janice!
There are so many famous mom’s. I think we need to add Vicki Lawrence from the Carol Burnett show. She may not win the mother of the year award, but she sure could make me laugh.
I’d also nominate Lucy Ricardo 😂
I love your choices, Jocelyn. I’m a firm believer in laughter as a binding force in families. We laugh together a lot in the Witemeyer house, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Definitely love Marmee! 😀
She’s a great one! Basically a single parent for years, yet no matter how hard things got for the March family, she was always prepared to help those around her who had it even harder. Such a great example!
I loved Leave it to Beaver (June). Also Donna Reed Show. She had such a sweet countenance. Great thought for today’s giveaway!
Those are true classic, Sally. Love it!
WE HAVE A WINNER!!!
Big congrats to Shelley Carman. She will receive her pick of my mother-centric novellas. Be watching your email, Shelley!
Thanks for sharing your favorite fiction moms! This was a fun walk down memory lane for me. 🙂
Happy Mother’s Day!
I have one to add although the giveaway is done.
Elizabeth Baxter the first one in a series is Redeemption by Karen Kingsbury. The series is 5 novels.
Great add, Jcp!
Love your mom choices! I never even thought of the Queen of Asgard!
Laura Ingalls really is the best!
I would love to have any one of these novellas. They look very entertaining.
So I forgot to mention my favorite TV mom was Ma Ingalls.