Mother May I

Revenge doesn’t wait for permission.

Growing up poor in rural Georgia, Bree Cabbat was warned that the world was a dark and scary place. Bree rejected that fearful outlook, and life has proved her right. Having married into a family with wealth, power, and connections, Bree now has all a woman could ever dream of.

Until the day she awakens and sees someone peering into her bedroom window—an old gray-haired woman dressed all in black who vanishes as quickly as she appears. It must be a play of the early morning light or the remnant of a waking dream, Bree tells herself, shaking off the bad feeling that overcomes her.

Later that day though, she spies the old woman again, in the parking lot of her daughters’ private school . . . just minutes before Bree’s infant son, asleep in his car seat only a few feet away, vanishes. It happened so quickly—Bree looked away only for a second. There is a note left in his place, warning her that she is being watched; if she wants her baby back, she must not call the police or deviate in any way from the instructions that will follow.

The mysterious woman makes contact, and Bree learns she, too, is a mother. Why would another mother do this? What does she want? And why has she targeted Bree? Of course Bree will pay anything, do anything. It’s her child.

To get her baby back, Bree must complete one small—but critical—task. It seems harmless enough, but her action comes with a devastating price.

Bree will do whatever it takes to protect her family—but what if the cost tears their world apart?

This discussion guide and recommended reading was shared and sponsored in partnership with Mariner.

Book club questions for Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson

Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.

There are three mothers in MOTHER MAY I who go to extreme lengths to protect their children. Did you identify with one mother more than the others? Why?

In MOTHER MAY I Bree talks about the close bond between a mother and her child, but we see this connection played out in different ways through each of the women’s personalities. What makes someone a “good mother?”

Bree’s decisions in this book are greatly influenced by her own mother and her best friend Betsy. Why do you think women’s relationships are so formative?

Bree often thinks of herself as an actress playing a part. Do you consider her actions “performances?” Have you ever felt like you were playing a role in life?

Bree reflects on how Anna-Claire’s upbringing may have tipped scales in her favor for the lead in the school play over Cara. Can you see other parallel situations in the book? In your lives? How is it dealt with in each?

Bree is able to connect with the “other mother” because of their shared experiences and backgrounds. Why is this such a strong bond?

Trey and Bree met at an art gallery. He initially made assumptions about who she was and her family background. Do you think Trey would have fallen in love with Bree if they had met under different circumstances?

Once Lexie Pine drops out of school, her life falls apart. Do you think that there might have been a different outcome if she came from a more privileged family?

To what extent is a person responsible for the actions of their partner, past and present?

Each of the characters in the book has done things that they aren’t proud of, but they have reacted to them differently. Do you think we are all defined by our sins? Do we always carry our mistakes with us, or is it possible to move on from them?

MOTHER MAY I explores the many facets of shame through characters’ past misdeeds, trauma, addiction, and even recasting personal narratives. Why do you think shame is such a strong motivator? Is there one instance of shame in the novel that had the strongest repercussions?

Each character in MOTHER MAY I has a different truth. Do you think that more than one person’s truth can be reality? What do you think happened that fateful college night?

Mother May I Book Club Questions PDF

Click here for a printable PDF of the Mother May I discussion questions

"[A] well-written and powerfully effective story whose protagonists (and readers) end up getting much more than they bargained for."

— Wall Street Journal, Best Books of 2021

“Joshilyn Jackson’s latest riveting thriller starts with a bang and doesn’t let up, asking how well you truly know the people around you—and how far you’re willing to go for the ones you love. A true page-turner that will stick with me for a long time.”

— Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl from Widow Hills, on Mother May I

“Fast-paced and twisty, there’s also redemption and a bit of grace down that debris-filled, winding road."

— Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Joshilyn Jackson does it again with this explosive, white-knuckle read about a mother who will stop at nothing to protect her family. Terrifying, timely and thought-provoking, I couldn't tear my eyes away from Mother May I."

— Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Other Mrs.

"If Joshilyn Jackson has not yet been deemed the Queen of the Twist, I would like to award her that title. I picked up Mother May I before bed, wholly unprepared for how immediately drawn in I would be. I stayed up way too late and then did not put it down the entire next day. Rarely do I say something is “unputdownable,” but I have no reservations about saying so in this case. Such a fantastic psychological mystery — I was enthralled until the very end!”

— Shane Mullen of Left Bank Books for Buzzfeed News, on Mother May I