Review of The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

In this taut and explosive debut novel, one lapse in judgement lands a young mother in a government reform program where custody of her child hangs in the balance.

Frida Liu is struggling. She doesn’t have a career worthy of her Chinese immigrant parents’ sacrifices. What’s worse is she can’t persuade her husband, Gust, to give up his wellness-obsessed younger mistress. Only with their angelic daughter Harriet does Frida finally feel she’s attained the perfection expected of her. Harriet may be all she has, but she’s just enough.

Until Frida has a horrible day.

The state has its eyes on mothers like Frida — ones who check their phones while their kids are on the playground; who let their children walk home alone; in other words, mothers who only have one lapse of judgement. Now, a host of government officials will 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 she can live up to the standards set for mothers — that she can learn to be good.

This propulsive, witty page-turner explores the perils of “perfect” upper-middle-class parenting, the violence enacted upon women by the state and each other, and the boundless love a mother has for her daughter. 

My Review:

4 Stars

This was a very intriguing story. It really makes you think about what would happen if this was implemented in today's society. Although I really wonder if it's focus is in the right direction. 

Frida has what she calls "a horrible day". A day that makes the reality she knows disappear and is then thrust into something she never could have imagined. A day that will keep being the focal point of her past, present and future. 

Throughout the story all of the mothers, including Frida, are tested in ways that are normal challenges of raising a child. However they are evaluated in some very different and at times disturbing ways. After seeing the entire concept I do believe something like this, although not this exact program because I really do question the motives behind the people running it at times, could be something that would be very beneficial to some of the struggling mothers out there. 

The author has done an extraordinary job of challenging ones thoughts and feeling on such a tough subject.