Representation of migrating mothers in children’s and young adult literature on transnational families

This analysis examines literary representations of migrating mothers in seven Polish children’s and young adult books on transnational families, evaluated through grounded theory. While media discourse oversimplifies migration as a deviation from the normative ideal of the present mother, resulting in the deprecating label ‘Euro-orphans’, literary depictions offer a more nuanced perspective. The study identifies three distinct types of mothers – ‘deviant’, ‘incomplete’ and ‘complete’ – with migration portrayed as a juncture in family life that challenges their maternal status. The narratives reveal different family trajectories and obstacles while offering nuanced portrayals of mothers, including their biographies and character traits. Ultimately, however, they reinforce conventional norms of ‘good’ motherhood by portraying transnational family and motherhood as deviations from the norm. Nonetheless, the narratives acknowledge children’s active roles in co-shaping their family arrangements and the evolving status of the ‘good’ mother, emphasising that children are not merely victims of their circumstances.