Scan barcode
A review by nancyflanagan
The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan
4.0
I was amused to see that several reviewers compared the book to 'The Handmaid's Tale'--because that comparison rolled around in my head the whole time I was reading. Just like HT, it's over-the-top dystopian, with lots of AI and Aunt Lydia types wearing pink lab coats. The first quarter of the book is real-life ugly; leaving your child alone because you just need a break is something people do, and the idea that technology can make Child Protective Services more 'efficient' is certainly believable.
Just as, it should be noted, a national attack on women's rights, a la HT, is believable. I'm well aware of the adoption agencies and social workers who'd like to insert their right-wing beliefs into the (let's be frank) baby market.
I was also taken aback by readers who didn't care for the book because they 'didn't like' the protagonist, Frida. I thought Frida was a complicated but compelling character, a rule-follower and perfectionist who simply screwed up big-time by not asking for help. Frida devotes a year of her life and considerable self-denigration to getting her daughter back. How can you not like a person like that?
Yes--the middle section of the book, the constant beating down of imperfect women, was pretty bizarre. It's speculative and dystopian fiction, however. And Chan's writing is awesome--witty and sarcastic. I enjoyed the read.
Four stars plus.
Just as, it should be noted, a national attack on women's rights, a la HT, is believable. I'm well aware of the adoption agencies and social workers who'd like to insert their right-wing beliefs into the (let's be frank) baby market.
I was also taken aback by readers who didn't care for the book because they 'didn't like' the protagonist, Frida. I thought Frida was a complicated but compelling character, a rule-follower and perfectionist who simply screwed up big-time by not asking for help. Frida devotes a year of her life and considerable self-denigration to getting her daughter back. How can you not like a person like that?
Yes--the middle section of the book, the constant beating down of imperfect women, was pretty bizarre. It's speculative and dystopian fiction, however. And Chan's writing is awesome--witty and sarcastic. I enjoyed the read.
Four stars plus.