Mother Knows Best by Serena Valentino Summary

Mother Knows Best: A Tale of the Old Witch is a young adult fantasy novel that reveals Mother Gothel's backstory from Disney's Tangled. The book follows Gothel as a young witch growing up with her sisters Hazel and Primrose under their abusive mother Manea, the Queen of the Dead. It explores how Gothel discovers the magical Rapunzel flower, eventually becoming obsessed with youth and immortality, leading to her kidnapping of baby Rapunzel.

Serena Valentino is a bestselling author known for her Disney Villains novel series that reimagines classic antagonists with complex backstories. She has written multiple villain origin stories including Fairest of All (Evil Queen), The Beast Within (Beast), Poor Unfortunate Soul (Ursula), Mistress of All Evil (Maleficent), and Evil Thing (Cruella de Vil). Valentino is also recognized for her comic book work on GloomCookie and Nightmares & Fairy Tales, bringing dark fairy tale aesthetics to her storytelling.

Mother Knows Best is ideal for young adults and Disney fans aged 13 and up who enjoy darker retellings of fairy tales. This book particularly appeals to readers of the Disney Villains series, as it heavily features the recurring Odd Sisters characters and connects to previous novels. Readers interested in villain origin stories, mother-daughter dynamics, and gothic fantasy with themes of dark magic, obsession, and grief will find Mother Knows Best engaging and thought-provoking.

Mother Knows Best is worth reading for Disney Villains series fans, though it receives mixed reviews as a standalone. The novel offers a gripping and intricate backstory for Mother Gothel with darker themes than previous series entries. However, readers should note that Mother Knows Best heavily features the Odd Sisters, which some find overshadows Gothel's story. For the best experience, reading the previous four books in Serena Valentino's series is highly recommended to understand the interconnected villain narratives.

The recommended reading order for Serena Valentino's Disney Villains series is: Fairest of All (Book 1), The Beast Within (Book 2), Poor Unfortunate Soul (Book 3), Mistress of All Evil (Book 4), Mother Knows Best (Book 5), The Odd Sisters (Book 6), Evil Thing (Book 7), and Cold Hearted (Book 8). Reading Mother Knows Best without the previous books may cause confusion, as the Odd Sisters characters and their interconnected plots play significant roles throughout. Each novel builds upon the shared villain universe Valentino created.

The Odd Sisters in Mother Knows Best are Hazel, Primrose, and Gothel—three witches who live together in the dead woods with their mother Manea. Manea, the Queen of the Dead, is an abusive mother who constantly tells her daughters they're disappointments for not being identical triplets. The sisters' relationship deteriorates throughout the story as Gothel becomes increasingly obsessed with inheriting their mother's dark magic powers, while Hazel and Primrose resist drinking Manea's blood to gain magical abilities.

The Rapunzel flower in Mother Knows Best is a magical golden flower that Gothel's family has protected for generations. This enchanted bloom grants immortality and youthful beauty to those who possess it, allowing Gothel's lineage to live for many lifetimes. When the king's soldiers steal the flower to save the dying queen during her pregnancy, it ultimately leads to Rapunzel's birth with magical hair. Gothel's obsession with reclaiming the flower drives her to kidnap baby Rapunzel and raise her in isolation.

Mother Knows Best is notably darker than previous entries in Serena Valentino's Disney Villains series, featuring mature themes of blood magic, child murder, and psychological abuse. The novel depicts Manea commanding the dead to massacre an entire village except children and one adult, and shows Gothel drinking her mother's blood to gain magical powers. Even Disney found the planned streaming adaptation "too dark" for their family-friendly Disney+ service, abandoning the Book of Enchantments project in 2019. These gothic horror elements make Mother Knows Best more suitable for mature young adult readers.

The primary criticism of Mother Knows Best is that the Odd Sisters overshadow Mother Gothel's story, making the book feel less about the titular villain. Many readers feel Serena Valentino focuses too heavily on the recurring witch trio rather than developing Gothel's unique backstory and motivations. Additionally, critics note that Valentino seems to erase or rewrite established Disney villain histories instead of complementing them. Some readers also found the 400-page length excessive for the story told, suggesting it could work better as a shorter picture book.

Reading the previous Disney Villains books before Mother Knows Best is highly recommended to avoid confusion. The Odd Sisters appear throughout Serena Valentino's series, and their complex storylines and motivations are established in earlier novels. Without context from Fairest of All, The Beast Within, Poor Unfortunate Soul, and Mistress of All Evil, readers will struggle to understand significant plot points involving the sisters' plans and relationships. While each book focuses on a different villain, the interconnected narrative makes sequential reading essential for full comprehension.

Mother Knows Best teaches that becoming consumed with grief and obsession prevents personal growth and happiness. The novel demonstrates how toxic mother-daughter relationships and emotional abuse can shape destructive behavior patterns across generations. Serena Valentino explores themes of letting go, showing how Gothel's inability to release her attachment to youth and her mother's approval ultimately leads to her downfall. The story also emphasizes the importance of kindness and making others happy, contrasted with Gothel's increasingly selfish choices driven by fear of aging and death.

Mother Knows Best serves as a prequel origin story to Disney's Tangled, explaining how Gothel discovered the magical golden flower and why she kidnapped Rapunzel. Serena Valentino's novel shows Gothel's family guarding the Rapunzel flower for generations before the king's soldiers steal it to save the dying queen. The book concludes with Gothel returning from the kingdom carrying baby Rapunzel, hiring Mrs. Tiddlebottom and Ms. Pickle to help raise her. This backstory adds psychological depth to Gothel's obsessive control and manipulation seen in the animated film.