Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Simon & Schuster (2022), 336 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. HTML:In this New York Times bestseller and Today show Read with Jenna Book Club Pick, one lapse in judgement lands a young mother in a government reform program where custody of her child hangs in the balance, in this "surreal" (People), "remarkable" (Vogue), and "infuriatingly timely" (The New York Times Book Review) debut novel. Frida Liu is struggling. She doesn't have a career worthy of her Chinese immigrant parents' sacrifices. She can't persuade her husband, Gust, to give up his wellness-obsessed younger mistress. Only with Harriet, their cherubic daughter, does Frida finally attain the perfection expected of her. Harriet may be all she has, but she is just enough. Until Frida has a very bad day. The state has its eye on mothers like Frida. The ones who check their phones, letting their children get injured on the playground; who let their children walk home alone. Because of one moment of poor judgement, a host of government officials will now determine if Frida is a candidate for a Big Brother-like institution that measures the success or failure of a mother's devotion. Faced with the possibility of losing Harriet, Frida must prove that a bad mother can be redeemed. That she can learn to be good. An "intense" (Oprah Daily), "captivating" (Today) page-turner that is also a transgressive novel of ideas about the perils of "perfect" upper-middle class parenting; the violence enacted upon women by both the state and, at times, one another; the systems that separate families; and the boundlessness of love, The School for Good Mothers introduces, in Frida, an everywoman for the ages. Using dark wit to explore the pains and joys of the deepest ties that bind us, Chan has written a modern literary classic.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
Frida is a single parent to a toddler. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. She and her husband had planned a future together, but halfway through her pregnancy, he found someone younger and less pregnant to love instead and now Frida is struggling. She's taken a lower paying job that lets her
Frida is incarcerated with a diverse group of mothers whose transgressions swing between actual abuse to the allegations of an ex-husband. Each woman must been seen to learn her lesson and become a good mother, with the help of AI robots designed to look like appropriately-aged children. As the women work through the lessons of parenting -- an approach that says that every moment a mother must be vigilant and attentive. This is a version of the world just slightly different from our own and the differences seem all too plausible.
Frida isn't an entirely likable character and her mistake toes the line against what is acceptable, but she's also very human and a good conduit for showing this repressive world and what it might entail. Chan is a talented writer and the novel is well-plotted. I don't generally like dystopian fiction, but this book kept me turning the pages, invested in Frida's life.
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work from home on the days she has custody of Harriet, but Harriet has an ear ache that kept her up all night and Frida needs some papers from her office to complete an overdue task. So she makes the mistake of leaving her child to run a quick errand. An errand that took a little longer than planned and when she gets home, it's to find the police there and child services taking her daughter away. Soon after, Frida is sentenced to a year in a reeducation program for bad mothers. Frida is incarcerated with a diverse group of mothers whose transgressions swing between actual abuse to the allegations of an ex-husband. Each woman must been seen to learn her lesson and become a good mother, with the help of AI robots designed to look like appropriately-aged children. As the women work through the lessons of parenting -- an approach that says that every moment a mother must be vigilant and attentive. This is a version of the world just slightly different from our own and the differences seem all too plausible.
Frida isn't an entirely likable character and her mistake toes the line against what is acceptable, but she's also very human and a good conduit for showing this repressive world and what it might entail. Chan is a talented writer and the novel is well-plotted. I don't generally like dystopian fiction, but this book kept me turning the pages, invested in Frida's life.
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LibraryThing member Araskov
My recommendation: Read this with the visual style that Tim Burton presents in his weird culty movies like Edward Scissorhands or Willy Wonka.
The creepy white washed walls. The staff in their pink uniforms. The insane standard of the perfect mother.
Creepy creations that could haunt your dreams.
It
The creepy white washed walls. The staff in their pink uniforms. The insane standard of the perfect mother.
Creepy creations that could haunt your dreams.
It
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was a good read. Very well written. I can't say I loved it, because I hated what they all went through, but the book itself was very well done. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookmuse56
Disturbing but Riveting
In a near future America, there is an exactness of who is a good mother and anyone not meeting this characterization will be cloistered for retraining.
Frida Liu, a divorced co-parenting Chinese America mother, has had an awfully bad day, when she leaves her 18-month daughter,
Frida finds she is now required to attend the newly implemented Government-run rehabilitation boarding school for “bad mother” for a year. At the school, the “bad mothers” will be retrained on how to be a “good mother” on robot children. Frida will need to pass all the training modules to be considered for having her parental rights restated at the end of the year.
While I certainly agreed Frida committed an act that required intervention and correction, I would say kudos to Chan writing skills in how the story reveals the complexities of her story exploring the expectations of mothers and the systems, or rather the lack of systems for supporting mothers.
This book also served to illustrate what looks like an equitable solution in reality works is often strife with colorism, sexism, and classism with goals often unattainable except for the economically privileged.
I often myself thinking of what Voltaire once said, “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”
This compelling and heart-wrenching tale with Hand Maiden vibes and horror aspects makes for a quick read and deserves to be a screen series.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
In a near future America, there is an exactness of who is a good mother and anyone not meeting this characterization will be cloistered for retraining.
Frida Liu, a divorced co-parenting Chinese America mother, has had an awfully bad day, when she leaves her 18-month daughter,
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Harriet, alone at home for two hours while she runs out for a coffee and stops at her office to answer a couple of emails. Meanwhile, Harriet strapped in an ExerSaucer wakes up from her nap screaming, neighbors call the police, and Harriet is removed from the home. Frida finds she is now required to attend the newly implemented Government-run rehabilitation boarding school for “bad mother” for a year. At the school, the “bad mothers” will be retrained on how to be a “good mother” on robot children. Frida will need to pass all the training modules to be considered for having her parental rights restated at the end of the year.
While I certainly agreed Frida committed an act that required intervention and correction, I would say kudos to Chan writing skills in how the story reveals the complexities of her story exploring the expectations of mothers and the systems, or rather the lack of systems for supporting mothers.
This book also served to illustrate what looks like an equitable solution in reality works is often strife with colorism, sexism, and classism with goals often unattainable except for the economically privileged.
I often myself thinking of what Voltaire once said, “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”
This compelling and heart-wrenching tale with Hand Maiden vibes and horror aspects makes for a quick read and deserves to be a screen series.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member reader1009
Dystopian fiction. After leaving her toddler unattended, a Chinese-American mother faces charges and cruel punishment at a school that uses artificially intelligent children. "Bad mothers" are expected to learn to live and exist solely for their children, while fathers are not held accountable for
Very strange story, but plenty of fodder for book clubs to talk about.
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causing any of the problems that contribute to their difficulties (and rich parents who can afford childcare or to stay home don't have to concern themselves with any of it).Very strange story, but plenty of fodder for book clubs to talk about.
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LibraryThing member labfs39
Frida Liu is having a bad day. She wasn't slept for more than a few hours a night in days, her eighteen-month-old daughter has an ear infection, and she has a project due at work that could result in her losing her work from home privileges if she turns it in late. She puts her daughter in her
In a dystopian world not far remote from our own, bad parents are taught the right way to care for, soothe, and instruct children using the most scientific and modern ways. Those who make it through the program can regain parental rights. Otherwise, they will never see their children again.
Although Frida is not an entirely likable character, her rehabilitation is chilling. What constitutes good parenting? Or bad? Can maternal love and selfless devotion be taught? Should it be? Instead of carrying sacks of flour in baby bjorns and cooing to raw eggs cushioned in mini faux cribs, as some teen parenting classes required in the past, what modern technology could be used? Who decides what's best for our children?
Although it's an interesting concept, I didn't completely connect with the story. It's a strong debut novel, but doesn't reach the level of Ishiguro's novels, for instance. I would have enjoyed exploring some of the issues more and seeing more character development, but it was a compelling plot that kept me turning the pages.
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exersaucer and runs out for a cup of coffee. Before she knows it, she is getting a call from the cops, child protective services are involved, and her ex and his perfect girlfriend take over while Frida is enrolled in a new state program, "The School for Good Mothers."In a dystopian world not far remote from our own, bad parents are taught the right way to care for, soothe, and instruct children using the most scientific and modern ways. Those who make it through the program can regain parental rights. Otherwise, they will never see their children again.
Although Frida is not an entirely likable character, her rehabilitation is chilling. What constitutes good parenting? Or bad? Can maternal love and selfless devotion be taught? Should it be? Instead of carrying sacks of flour in baby bjorns and cooing to raw eggs cushioned in mini faux cribs, as some teen parenting classes required in the past, what modern technology could be used? Who decides what's best for our children?
Although it's an interesting concept, I didn't completely connect with the story. It's a strong debut novel, but doesn't reach the level of Ishiguro's novels, for instance. I would have enjoyed exploring some of the issues more and seeing more character development, but it was a compelling plot that kept me turning the pages.
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LibraryThing member pdebolt
This book got more and more ridiculous. When Frida left her child alone for two hours, it was justifiable for CPS to step in and give the child to a fit and willing family member until Frida completed a case plan. It didn't make sense that cameras were put in Frida's apartment and monitored. How is
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this financed? The "school" stretched limits of credibility. I finally gave up when the robotic children demonstrated emotions that required the attentions of their "mothers." I don't know how it ended because I simply couldn't continue reading. To compare it to The Handmaid's Tale is a disservice to Margaret Atwood. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheLoisLevel
A different twist on "The Handmaid's Tale" and just as terrifying. How many ways will they find to shackle women? Both chilling and thought provoking.
LibraryThing member rmarcin
This novel is heartbreaking. A mom, at her wit's end, can't take another moment of her daughter being ill, crying, and in pain. Frida adores her daughter, Harriet, but in a moment of weakness she leaves her child alone for a few hours. Child Protective Services is called to evaluate Frida's fitness
This book was very difficult to read. Of course, we want children to be in safe, loving homes. But this novel depicts protective services in such a way that I wonder how much is true, and how much the system works against parents who are trying their best.
Thanks to Simon and Schuster and Edelweiss for the ARC. All opinions are my own and freely given.
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to be a mother. Frida is sent to a school to teach bad mothers how to be good mothers. The lengths at which these women are tested in frightening and demeaning. The standards they are held to are unreal and made me so angry. Frida tries so hard, but nothing seems to go right.This book was very difficult to read. Of course, we want children to be in safe, loving homes. But this novel depicts protective services in such a way that I wonder how much is true, and how much the system works against parents who are trying their best.
Thanks to Simon and Schuster and Edelweiss for the ARC. All opinions are my own and freely given.
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LibraryThing member tibobi
The Short of It:
Loved this weird, quirky story about motherhood.
The Rest of It:
Frida leaves her toddler alone for a few hours and is reported to the authorities. Already struggling with her husband Gust leaving her for a younger woman, not able to find a career worthy or important enough to impress
But all is not lost because she has been sentenced to The School for Good Mothers. This school focuses on the basics of childcare, but gently builds to more complicated matters such as discipline, intent, empathy and the all important eye-contact and inflection and tone. And how is this accomplished? By assigning a life-like robot, or “doll” to each mother. One that requires the constant monitoring of the blue viscous goo that keeps them running. Failing to notice a rise in temperature, failure to change the doll’s fluid regularly, results in the loss of privileges such as phone calls home to her actual daughter, Harriet.
Frida, like most of the mothers in this school struggle with the idea of taking on a doll as their child. Let me tell you, these things are life-like and feel things. They express frustration and pain and it’s all recorded by the teachers and observers assigned to each mother. Data collection rarely points to the positives, but instead focuses on the one time Frida pinches her doll, leaving a permanent mark upon her form. The pressure to do well is palpable. Frida’s only goal is to get through it so she can get Harriet back but as she continues to lose her privileges, Harriet becomes more of a stranger as contact diminishes.
This was a surprise read for me. I am not sure what I expected but robotic dolls wasn’t it and yet I ate it up. Every word. It’s a strange story and very futuristic but if you compare it to today’s world, mothers are often given the short end of the stick when it comes to childcare. I really enjoyed Chan’s skill in regards to taking a reader through this experience without casting judgment on the parenting choices made.
Highly recommend but it isn’t a story to leave you all warm and fuzzy. It’s a little cold and sterile but I tend to like these kinds of reads.
For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.
Loved this weird, quirky story about motherhood.
The Rest of It:
Frida leaves her toddler alone for a few hours and is reported to the authorities. Already struggling with her husband Gust leaving her for a younger woman, not able to find a career worthy or important enough to impress
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her parents, losing her child is the perfect ending to a very bad day.But all is not lost because she has been sentenced to The School for Good Mothers. This school focuses on the basics of childcare, but gently builds to more complicated matters such as discipline, intent, empathy and the all important eye-contact and inflection and tone. And how is this accomplished? By assigning a life-like robot, or “doll” to each mother. One that requires the constant monitoring of the blue viscous goo that keeps them running. Failing to notice a rise in temperature, failure to change the doll’s fluid regularly, results in the loss of privileges such as phone calls home to her actual daughter, Harriet.
Frida, like most of the mothers in this school struggle with the idea of taking on a doll as their child. Let me tell you, these things are life-like and feel things. They express frustration and pain and it’s all recorded by the teachers and observers assigned to each mother. Data collection rarely points to the positives, but instead focuses on the one time Frida pinches her doll, leaving a permanent mark upon her form. The pressure to do well is palpable. Frida’s only goal is to get through it so she can get Harriet back but as she continues to lose her privileges, Harriet becomes more of a stranger as contact diminishes.
This was a surprise read for me. I am not sure what I expected but robotic dolls wasn’t it and yet I ate it up. Every word. It’s a strange story and very futuristic but if you compare it to today’s world, mothers are often given the short end of the stick when it comes to childcare. I really enjoyed Chan’s skill in regards to taking a reader through this experience without casting judgment on the parenting choices made.
Highly recommend but it isn’t a story to leave you all warm and fuzzy. It’s a little cold and sterile but I tend to like these kinds of reads.
For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.
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LibraryThing member ccayne
I was surprised by how much I liked this book. At first, I didn't realize the novel would take a very dark turn. Once I did, I found the satire of our judgmental culture very satisfying. Sadly, I could see the truth of institutions being overly involved in people's' lives and not for the better.
LibraryThing member brianinbuffalo
Is Chan’s debut novel a bit outlandish – even bordering on absurd in some respects? Perhaps. But “The School for Good Mothers” is also incredibly entertaining and thought-provoking. I was impressed with the brisk pacing of this dystopian tale. True, there’s nothing outstanding about the
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overall literary execution. But Chan clearly knows how to spin a compelling story in a way that nudges readers to ponder issues such as parenting, mind control and rehabilitation. Show Less
LibraryThing member nivramkoorb
This is a debut novel that came with a lotta of hype. It is a disturbing book that takes on a lot of issues. The main story is about Frida Liu(Chinese American) and her very bad day that leads to more bad days. She is a single mother of an 18month old(Harriet). She has joint custody with her
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ex-husband who left her 3 months after Harriet was born for a younger rich white woman. Frida is in a job below her education level and is overwhelmed on her bad day and ends up leaving Harriet alone for 2.5 hours. Neighbors call the Police(Harriet was crying) and the child goes to CPS(Child Protective Service). At this point the dystopian story unfolds. Everything in the book is a setup for Frida not ever getting a break. Ultimately it is determined that she has to go to the newly developed school for Good Mothers for one year. This school is more like prison as the school uses robot dolls to pair up with the mothers to help them become "Good". Every aspect of Frida's life is examined, measured, and criticized. The book drags a little as we meet the other women in the school and then some men for the companion school for fathers. Chan shows how tough it is for mothers and how fathers get to slide. She also deals with race issues as we delve into her past. It is not a happy book but a worthwhile read that deals with real important subjects. She may even have too much in it. This is a good book for mothers to read. It is fiction so the plausibility of this type of school should not be questioned. Writers are allowed to create their own worlds. A solid debut. Show Less
LibraryThing member susan.h.schofield
This was an excellent debut from Jessamine Chan. It was well written and thought provoking. It was also heart wrenching and difficult to read at times. This will make an excellent selection and will incite a lot of debate and discussion. I look forward to reading more from Jessamine Chan in the
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future. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC. Show Less
LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
The School For Good Mothers, Jessamine Chan, author; Catherine Ho, narrator
In an imaginary time, in America, there is a grotesque school for wayward parents who have been convicted of some kind of child abuse, often just the result of a normal kind of accident that children are heir to, but
The reason for Frida’s incarceration is egregious, Faced with work deadlines she could not meet and a lack of sleep, coupled with the emotional deprivation and desolation surrounding her marriage break-up, she became overwhelmed and could not bear staying in her apartment any longer. She simply walked out, leaving her daughter Harriet alone in her ExerSaucer, and she lost track of time. She did not return as quickly as she had planned, but leaving for even a short time would have been a horrendous lapse of good judgment. The child, Harriet, began to cry, and she cried for a very long time, finally capturing the attention of a neighbor who called the police. They then called Child Protective Services.
Frida had joint custody with her ex-husband Gust, so he was given full custody temporarily, while appropriate action was decided. When, Frida was deemed unfit after the supervised visits, she was given a choice by the judge to give up her child or to go to a school to be retrained as a good mother. She opted for that, and she prepared to leave for one year. The care of Harriet was remanded to Gust and his paramour, Susanna.
Frida’s parents were originally from China, where her father’s mama, her ahma, had suffered during the Cultural Revolution. Her parents met in America, while both were studying at graduate school. They married and brought many relatives to America. Frida was born in America. She met her husband, a white man, at a party in Brooklyn, New York. They married and she agreed to move with him to Philadelphia. There, she felt like a fish out of water and had few friends. In her late 30’s, she conceived a child. She believed that her life with her husband would be forever, so she was quite overwhelmed when she discovered that while she was pregnant, he began having an affair. Soon, thereafter, her husband left her for his lover, Susanna. Oddly, they were both deemed to be fit parents in this novel, although, unbeknownst to the authorities, Susanna actually sent pornographic texts and pictures to Gust, while Frida was pregnant, and Susanna was a willing participant in the break-up of Frida and Gust’s marriage.
In this prison, quasi school, although the aims seemed to be rehabilitation and reform, the methods seemed more apt to encourage recidivism than redemption. When they arrived at the campus, without any luggage as instructed, they were stripped of all personal belongings and given nondescript, unflattering pink uniforms so that they would concentrate only on being the parent deserving of a child. Each woman was given a lifelike “robot” doll, that she had to care for and bond with as if it was her real child. They attended classes with a curriculum geared to teaching them to be good mothers, always putting the child first, as they learned to ignore distractions and their own personal needs. They were forced to repeat a mantra about their bad mothering and narcissism which was agreed, was the reason for their poor judgment and choices. They were sometimes forced to inflict harm upon the robot child, that felt pain and cried, in order to teach the child, and themselves, the proper emotional responses to stress and the real world. The instruction seemed barbaric and cold. The lab coated counselors gave the place the air of an experimental laboratory. The counselors were totally unemotional in their approach to every situation, and they seemed calculating and cold. They were rarely supportive. Further, the judgment of the women’s performances, by the counselors, as in the courtroom by the judges, was largely subjective, leaving no room for error or redress. The campus of this “school”, was surrounded by an electrified fence. If they tried to leave, it would be suicide. If they were expelled, they would lose parental rights forever.
Frida always felt as if she was the one blamed, unfairly, but she quickly learned to submerge her feelings and to show gratitude for whatever she received. She learned to speak appropriately to a child, making every moment a teaching, loving moment, as she also learned how much love was acceptable and how much was perceived as coddling and harmful. The demands seemed a bit unrealistic for actual life. She learned about her own past and how it influenced her own reactions, and was encouraged to do better.
There is a lot of emphasis on sexual behavior in the novel, and a good deal of filthy language. It neither enhanced nor detracted from the book, and seemed unnecessary to me. Although some of the training seemed meaningful, most of the approach to motherhood seemed absurd and almost misogynous. The men in the program, lived on a different campus there. Their training did not seem as extreme. They did not lose privileges or experience frequent changes in their schedules and/or rules. Unlike our society today, where the men are considered toxic, it seemed the women were considered more harmful, and were not to be trusted or believed by either men or women.
Did the program work? Would she learn to care about how her poor judgment not only hurt her child but other? Would she feel real remorse? Does she truly understand what love is, and if not, why not? What makes a good parent? Is parenting different for men and women, and therefore, do they have to be trained differently? Is one parent more important than the other? If both mother and father make the same mistake, are they judged in the same way, punished in the same way? Should they be? Should all punishments be the same or should they fit the crime? Is rehabilitation or redemption even possible? Will a troubled parent always be a troubled parent, repeating the same mistakes even after reeducation? One can’t help recall that Frida’s ahma was abused during the Cultural Revolution, when the elite and educated had to be reeducated. Was Frida the abuser or was she abused?
The narrator was superb. She could easily have over emoted or made herself a character, but instead, she chose just the right amount of tone and stress in each situation as she read, emphasizing the moment appropriately each time. The book is an interesting read.
In an imaginary time, in America, there is a grotesque school for wayward parents who have been convicted of some kind of child abuse, often just the result of a normal kind of accident that children are heir to, but
Show More
sometimes due to actual neglect or abuse; it is a place for the retraining of these recalcitrant parents judged unfit to remain with their children. Our main character, Frida, has been sent there because after three months of supervised visits, with her daughter, she was deemed still unfit to parent her 18 month old daughter, Harriet. She must go away for a year, having no physical contact with her at all, and at the end of the year, after being reeducated, if she passes, she will be returned to society and allowed to care for her child, followed up, of course, by supervision. If she does not pass, and is deemed unfit, she will be forever banned from her child until she reaches the legal age of 18. At that time, hopefully her child will decide to search for her mother. Even the grandparents are forbidden from seeing the child since it is conceivable that they would remind the child of her mother and make it harder for her to adjust to her loss. There is no appeal after final judgment is handed down. The reason for Frida’s incarceration is egregious, Faced with work deadlines she could not meet and a lack of sleep, coupled with the emotional deprivation and desolation surrounding her marriage break-up, she became overwhelmed and could not bear staying in her apartment any longer. She simply walked out, leaving her daughter Harriet alone in her ExerSaucer, and she lost track of time. She did not return as quickly as she had planned, but leaving for even a short time would have been a horrendous lapse of good judgment. The child, Harriet, began to cry, and she cried for a very long time, finally capturing the attention of a neighbor who called the police. They then called Child Protective Services.
Frida had joint custody with her ex-husband Gust, so he was given full custody temporarily, while appropriate action was decided. When, Frida was deemed unfit after the supervised visits, she was given a choice by the judge to give up her child or to go to a school to be retrained as a good mother. She opted for that, and she prepared to leave for one year. The care of Harriet was remanded to Gust and his paramour, Susanna.
Frida’s parents were originally from China, where her father’s mama, her ahma, had suffered during the Cultural Revolution. Her parents met in America, while both were studying at graduate school. They married and brought many relatives to America. Frida was born in America. She met her husband, a white man, at a party in Brooklyn, New York. They married and she agreed to move with him to Philadelphia. There, she felt like a fish out of water and had few friends. In her late 30’s, she conceived a child. She believed that her life with her husband would be forever, so she was quite overwhelmed when she discovered that while she was pregnant, he began having an affair. Soon, thereafter, her husband left her for his lover, Susanna. Oddly, they were both deemed to be fit parents in this novel, although, unbeknownst to the authorities, Susanna actually sent pornographic texts and pictures to Gust, while Frida was pregnant, and Susanna was a willing participant in the break-up of Frida and Gust’s marriage.
In this prison, quasi school, although the aims seemed to be rehabilitation and reform, the methods seemed more apt to encourage recidivism than redemption. When they arrived at the campus, without any luggage as instructed, they were stripped of all personal belongings and given nondescript, unflattering pink uniforms so that they would concentrate only on being the parent deserving of a child. Each woman was given a lifelike “robot” doll, that she had to care for and bond with as if it was her real child. They attended classes with a curriculum geared to teaching them to be good mothers, always putting the child first, as they learned to ignore distractions and their own personal needs. They were forced to repeat a mantra about their bad mothering and narcissism which was agreed, was the reason for their poor judgment and choices. They were sometimes forced to inflict harm upon the robot child, that felt pain and cried, in order to teach the child, and themselves, the proper emotional responses to stress and the real world. The instruction seemed barbaric and cold. The lab coated counselors gave the place the air of an experimental laboratory. The counselors were totally unemotional in their approach to every situation, and they seemed calculating and cold. They were rarely supportive. Further, the judgment of the women’s performances, by the counselors, as in the courtroom by the judges, was largely subjective, leaving no room for error or redress. The campus of this “school”, was surrounded by an electrified fence. If they tried to leave, it would be suicide. If they were expelled, they would lose parental rights forever.
Frida always felt as if she was the one blamed, unfairly, but she quickly learned to submerge her feelings and to show gratitude for whatever she received. She learned to speak appropriately to a child, making every moment a teaching, loving moment, as she also learned how much love was acceptable and how much was perceived as coddling and harmful. The demands seemed a bit unrealistic for actual life. She learned about her own past and how it influenced her own reactions, and was encouraged to do better.
There is a lot of emphasis on sexual behavior in the novel, and a good deal of filthy language. It neither enhanced nor detracted from the book, and seemed unnecessary to me. Although some of the training seemed meaningful, most of the approach to motherhood seemed absurd and almost misogynous. The men in the program, lived on a different campus there. Their training did not seem as extreme. They did not lose privileges or experience frequent changes in their schedules and/or rules. Unlike our society today, where the men are considered toxic, it seemed the women were considered more harmful, and were not to be trusted or believed by either men or women.
Did the program work? Would she learn to care about how her poor judgment not only hurt her child but other? Would she feel real remorse? Does she truly understand what love is, and if not, why not? What makes a good parent? Is parenting different for men and women, and therefore, do they have to be trained differently? Is one parent more important than the other? If both mother and father make the same mistake, are they judged in the same way, punished in the same way? Should they be? Should all punishments be the same or should they fit the crime? Is rehabilitation or redemption even possible? Will a troubled parent always be a troubled parent, repeating the same mistakes even after reeducation? One can’t help recall that Frida’s ahma was abused during the Cultural Revolution, when the elite and educated had to be reeducated. Was Frida the abuser or was she abused?
The narrator was superb. She could easily have over emoted or made herself a character, but instead, she chose just the right amount of tone and stress in each situation as she read, emphasizing the moment appropriately each time. The book is an interesting read.
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LibraryThing member kayanelson
I heard Jessamine Chan speak at the Printers Row Lit Fest in Chicago. The School For Good Mothers had been on several debut novel lists that one should read. This book however did not resonate with me. The ending was the best part as something different happened. I found that Frida’s (the bad
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mother) bad day was actually horrible and what took place at the school was extremely repetitive. Maybe if my children were still young, I could relate more. Show Less
LibraryThing member elkiedee
Harriet is a Chinese-American single mum trying to hold on to an academic job with future progression prospects. Then she makes a terrible mistake when she just can't think straight, under pressure, leaving her baby daughter alone in their flat.
Social workers take her baby daughter away, and after
The story was rather harrowing and made me sad and angry many times when reading. I saw aspects of what was likely to happen in advance, but by no means everything.
This may feel rather to close to home to anyone struggling with young children in difficult circumstances, but I would recommend this thought provoking near future feminist dystopia novel to any other readers who like fiction that explores social issues.
Copy received for review via Netgalley.
Social workers take her baby daughter away, and after
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court hearings, place her with her father and the partner he left then-pregnant Harriet for. Harriet is sentenced to a year's full time re-education programme as a condition for even considering reunification - forget that job! Harriet is living with other women under full time observation, scrutiny and criticism, all having to look after a kind of artificial reality doll baby with regular awful tests which are not designed to help women succeed. Harriet has to work out how to get along, or just deal with, her peers from a range of backgrounds, and there is much how class and race affects perceptions and judgements of women's behaviour.The story was rather harrowing and made me sad and angry many times when reading. I saw aspects of what was likely to happen in advance, but by no means everything.
This may feel rather to close to home to anyone struggling with young children in difficult circumstances, but I would recommend this thought provoking near future feminist dystopia novel to any other readers who like fiction that explores social issues.
Copy received for review via Netgalley.
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LibraryThing member LivelyLady
When a mother loses custody of her daughter due to a lack of judgment that did not cause harm, she is sent to the school for a year's sentence. Without giving a spoiler, I will say what follows is the sci-fi part in her "rehab." While it began good, with time into her year of rehabilitation, to me
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it became less interesting and more ridiculous. Unless you like a sci-fi genre, I wouldn't recommend it. I don't and didn't know it was like this. Show Less
LibraryThing member eesti23
"Fix the home and fix society."
"I am a bad mother, but I am learning to be good."
I was really fascinated by the concept of The School for Good Mothers. The start is a bit slow going, but once Freda arrives at the school, it picks up a bit. There were parts of this book that I found fascinating, forrobot kids. On the one hand I think this was an interesting element to add in. On the other hand I had trouble being able to really visualise them. I would love to see them in a film. There were elements of the story that were lacking. In particular, I was really disappointed by the ending. A far better ending that would have better fit with the premise of the story would have been if Harriet had died while in the care of Susanna and Gust or if Susanna and Gust had also been sent to the school after the low carb incident. Especially as there were people in the school for lesser transgressions. I do think this story could be turned into a really interesting film.
Note: This book actually only took me a couple of days to read once I properly got started. The long date range is because I had an appendectomy in the middle.
"I am a bad mother, but I am learning to be good."
I was really fascinated by the concept of The School for Good Mothers. The start is a bit slow going, but once Freda arrives at the school, it picks up a bit. There were parts of this book that I found fascinating, for
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example, the school itself, the lessons, and the tests. I still have mixed feelings about the Note: This book actually only took me a couple of days to read once I properly got started. The long date range is because I had an appendectomy in the middle.
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LibraryThing member SallyElizabethMurphy
I kept hoping this novel would improve, but the story only became worse. This had to be one of the worst books I have read in a very long time. The premise is absurd, and the writing is abysmal. Do not waste your time.
LibraryThing member JanaRose1
After leaving her daughter Harriet home alone, Frida is astonished at the response by social workers and the police. Harriet is taken from her, and Frida is put under surveillance. When the surveillance report comes back negative, Frida is given one last chance to regain custody - to attend a year
I had a hard time getting into this book. I did not particularly like Frida and found her pretty unsympathetic. It took a long time for the book to get interesting, and even then it was slow reading. I understand the author was trying to make a point about a surveillance society, and the intrusion of government, but I wish she had just told a story. Overall, 2 out of 5 stars.
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long program designed to turn her into a good mother. I had a hard time getting into this book. I did not particularly like Frida and found her pretty unsympathetic. It took a long time for the book to get interesting, and even then it was slow reading. I understand the author was trying to make a point about a surveillance society, and the intrusion of government, but I wish she had just told a story. Overall, 2 out of 5 stars.
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LibraryThing member WiserWisegirl
Audio book is excellent production. A fascinating dark future for mothers being treated different than fathers, is visited. Haunting ending.
LibraryThing member WiserWisegirl
Audio book is excellent production. A fascinating dark future for mothers being treated different than fathers, is visited. Haunting ending.
LibraryThing member akblanchard
In this insightful novel, Frida, a Chinese-American mother, suffers from a parenting lapse and loses custody of her beloved daughter. Her only hope of regaining custody is to complete a year-long, residential reeducation program. As might be expected, the program’s arbitrary standards and
I found this novel gripping, effective, and all too plausible. Highly recommended.
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emphasis on surveillance highlight modern society’s contradictory ideas regarding motherhood and privacy. The twist is that the program’s inmates are supposed to demonstrate their parenting progress by mothering AI robots designed to look and behave like children.I found this novel gripping, effective, and all too plausible. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member zeborah
Well this was devastatingly brilliant. It started off with me thinking "I thought this was science-fiction?" and then things... escalated quickly. The robot children were of course a science-fictional device, but everything else was all too plausible (and far from unprecedented; not even as far off
The story ends on what, to be realistic, is probably only a temporarily happy reunion between mother and daughter. I choose not to be realistic on this point. It only requires a few people to conspire against their own self-interest, followed by a decade-long string of good luck: it's well-deserved, so I choose to believe it could happen.
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current punitive social welfare policies as it should be). No holds barred in its depiction of the different expectations placed on "good fathers" and "good mothers" either.The story ends on what, to be realistic, is probably only a temporarily happy reunion between mother and daughter. I choose not to be realistic on this point. It only requires a few people to conspire against their own self-interest, followed by a decade-long string of good luck: it's well-deserved, so I choose to believe it could happen.
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LibraryThing member GeauxGetLit
As I finish this book, I honestly feel like I’m about to hurl. The beginning of the book I enjoyed and at first the dystopian school for what CPS considers bad mothers was one of amusement.
However, it became so repetitive and the continuous negativity took its toll on me. The government puts
As a mother of two very unique children, parenting them as a single mom is hard and I’m sure most people would agree to this. Having two children, I can’t have a one size fits all parenting style, in fact my parenting for each child is completely different.
We have so much judgment in this society and don’t tell me you haven’t ever been annoyed by a screaming child in a restaurant or while shopping and think why is that Mom not doing anything?? Nobody is perfect and all Moms make mistakes and should be able to parent their own way when they have the best intentions for their child.
There was real opportunity for this to be so much more, if only it brought more emotions and a build on relationships. I was secretly wishing the stepmom would have been sent to the school also lol.
However, it became so repetitive and the continuous negativity took its toll on me. The government puts
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women who aren’t even actual mothers to determine how a perfect mother acts and behaves. They are given no exceptions and your motherhood will be taken away from anyone who isn’t “perfect”. As a mother of two very unique children, parenting them as a single mom is hard and I’m sure most people would agree to this. Having two children, I can’t have a one size fits all parenting style, in fact my parenting for each child is completely different.
We have so much judgment in this society and don’t tell me you haven’t ever been annoyed by a screaming child in a restaurant or while shopping and think why is that Mom not doing anything?? Nobody is perfect and all Moms make mistakes and should be able to parent their own way when they have the best intentions for their child.
There was real opportunity for this to be so much more, if only it brought more emotions and a build on relationships. I was secretly wishing the stepmom would have been sent to the school also lol.
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Awards
Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction (Longlist — Fiction — 2023)
Center for Fiction First Novel Prize (Shortlist — 2022)
NPR: Books We Love (2022)
The New York Times Notable Books of the Year (Fiction/Poetry — 2022)
Read with Jenna (2022-01 — 2022)
Globe and Mail Top 100 Book (2022)
LibraryReads (Monthly Pick — January 2022)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — 2022)
BBC 50 Best Books of 2022 (2022)
Original language
English
Original publication date
2022
Physical description
336 p.; 9 inches
ISBN
1982156120 / 9781982156121