India, May 11 -- Today is Mother's Day, a time to celebrate the moms who love us, guide us, and often hold everything together without expecting much in return. But motherhood isn't all hugs and picture-perfect moments. It can be isolating, exhausting, and complicated. This Mother's Day, we're shining a light on books that go beyond the sweet stuff and dive into the challenges, contradictions, and quiet strength that define real-life motherhood.

Here are five powerful reads that unpack what it truly means to be a mom:

This short story, written in the 19th century, is a haunting look at the mental toll of motherhood and the societal roles forced upon women. The narrator, a new mother, is confined to a room under the "rest cure," supposed...