The School for Good Mothers

A Novel

De: Jessamine Chan

Narrado por: Catherine Ho

Longlisted for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel and the Carnegie Medal for Excellence | Shortlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize | Selected as One of Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of the Year!

In this New York Times bestseller and Today show Read with Jenna Book Club Pick, one lapse in judgment lands a young mother in a dystopian 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 literary fiction novel.

Frida Liu, a hardworking Chinese American mother, is pushed to the edge. She doesn’t live up to the expectations set by her immigrant parents or her wellness-obsessed husband. Only with Harriet—cherubic and beloved—does she find a measure of fulfillment…until she has a very bad day.

In this close-to-future dystopia, the state targets mothers like Frida: mothers who check their phones, let their children walk home alone, or make one parenting error. Because of one mistake, Frida is sent to a government-run institution—a Big Brother–style reform school for “good mothers,” where every move is monitored, and even her love is judged.

For custody to be returned, she must prove that a flawed mother can be redeemed and learn to be “good.” Filled with dark wit and emotional urgency, The School for Good Mothers is an intense, captivating novel that scrutinizes upper-middle-class parenting, systemic surveillance of women, and the violence exacted by both the state and one another. It offers a transgressive exploration of motherhood, resilience, guilt, and the force of love.

Using spare, compelling prose, Jessamine Chan crafts an unforgettable, modern classic that resonates with readers of The Handmaid’s Tale and 1984, while centering a richly drawn woman navigating class, race, and motherhood under the gaze of an unyielding system.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Ho holds the listener captive as she narrates this deeply engrossing portrait of the boundless depth of a mother’s love. Her exquisite narration channels a heartbreaking, terrifying, and prescient story that leaves the listener gutted."

Overall pretty unique perspective

I wouldn’t recommend this novel to many people, but I did enjoy another perspective on the judgement of women and particularly one whose behavior concerning parenting is less than pristine.

Engaging and scary

This highly believable story about government overreach re: correct parenting was well written and engaging. The narrator was very good. Certainly a provocative discussion starter.

I thought it was great

Rich, dark, satire. In this story, any mother should be able to see the crazy things they expect themselves to be, and the even more crazy things that the world expects them to be. Impossible expectations. here they come to terms with being human and being a mother.

Haunting and Gripping

Only complaint is the cliffhanger it leaves on! I wanted more! I listened to this on the drive from LA to CO and was completely hooked the whole time.

a child of a bad mother

this was a tough read for me for a multitude of different reasons.
1. i am a child of a “bad mother”.
2. i am not a mother.
3. i don’t typically read anything other than fantasy and romance.

overall i think if you can get past the exaggeration of the school/program and the constant whining in Frida’s inner monologue, there are some good aspects of the book. makes you think about the fact that not everyone should be a parent, even if they REALLY want to. the school did not, in my opinion, have any lasting affects of the bad parents. and the ending clearly shows this. although my points above are valid, i still hold a lot of sympathy for most of the characters.